Makarius
A masculine name of Greek origin related to blessed and happy.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Makarius. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Makarius today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makarius births was 2015 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makarius. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Makarius. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2015
5 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#13,303
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Makarius: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Makarius by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Makarius during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Makarius
The given name Makarius has its origins in the Greek language. It is derived from the ancient Greek word "makarios," which means "blessed" or "happy." This name has been in use since ancient times and has a rich cultural and historical significance.
In the early Christian era, Makarius became a popular name among followers of the Christian faith. It was often bestowed upon individuals who were considered particularly devout or pious. The name gained widespread recognition after Saint Makarios the Great, an influential 4th-century Egyptian monk and hermit, who is revered in the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Makarius can be found in the ancient Greek text "The Philokalia," a collection of writings by Eastern Christian monks and ascetics from the 4th to the 15th centuries. This text includes several references to individuals named Makarius, including Saint Makarios the Great and other notable figures in early Christian monasticism.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Makarius. One of the earliest was Makarios of Ghazir (1609-1672), a Lebanese Maronite monk and theologian who played a significant role in the development of the Maronite Church's relationship with the Roman Catholic Church.
Another notable figure was Makarios III (1913-1977), the first president of independent Cyprus. He was a pivotal figure in the Cypriot struggle for independence from British rule and served as the island's president from 1960 to 1977.
In the realm of literature, Makarius Raev (1670-1735) was a prominent Russian poet and playwright during the reign of Peter the Great. His works were instrumental in the development of Russian secular literature and theater.
The name Makarius has also been associated with religious figures, such as Makarios the Alexandrian (300-390 AD), an Egyptian monk and hermit who is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Additionally, Makarios Simonopetritis (1392-1431) was a prominent Greek Orthodox monk and saint from the island of Lemnos, who is remembered for his ascetic lifestyle and spiritual teachings.
While the name Makarius has its roots in ancient Greek culture, it has been embraced by various cultures and communities throughout history, particularly those with strong Christian traditions. The name continues to be used today, carrying with it the connotations of blessedness and spiritual fulfillment.
People
Makarius + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makarius as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Makarius: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makarius?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makarius going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Makarius a common name?
We classify Makarius as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makarius most popular?
The single biggest year for Makarius was 2015, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makarius is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Makarius in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Makarius a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makarius in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Makarius still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Makarius in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Makarius can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Makarius?
Want to know how many people share the name Makarius? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.