Makaveli
An English masculine given name derived from Machiavelli, alluding to the Italian philosopher and author.
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the first name Makaveli. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Makaveli today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makaveli births was 2022 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makaveli. 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.
People living today
135
~ 1 in 2,538,921 Americans
Peak year
2022
12 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,072
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Makaveli: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Makaveli from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 47 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Makaveli 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 Makaveli during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Makaveli
The name Makaveli is a relatively modern name with roots in ancient Rome. It is derived from the Latin name "Machiavelli," which was the surname of the famous Italian Renaissance philosopher and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527). Machiavelli's works, such as "The Prince," had a profound impact on political thought and strategy, and his name became associated with cunning and pragmatic approaches to power and governance.
The name Makaveli gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly in the world of hip-hop and rap music. It is believed to have been first adopted as a stage name by the American rapper Tupac Shakur (1971-1996), who used the pseudonym "Makaveli" as a reference to Machiavelli's principles and his own philosophical and political views.
Tupac Shakur, one of the most influential and iconic figures in hip-hop history, embraced the name Makaveli as a symbol of his revolutionary spirit and his desire to challenge the status quo. He released an album titled "The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory" under the alias Makaveli in 1996, shortly before his untimely death.
Beyond Tupac Shakur, the name Makaveli has been adopted by other artists and public figures as a nod to Machiavellian principles or as a tribute to Tupac's legacy. For example, the American rapper Royce da 5'9" (born Ryan Daniel Montgomery in 1977) has used the alias "Nickel Nine" as a reference to Makaveli.
Another notable figure who embraced the name Makaveli was the American actor and rapper Earl Simmons (1970-2018), better known as DMX. He often incorporated Makaveli into his stage persona, reflecting his admiration for Tupac Shakur and his connection to the principles of strategic thinking and self-empowerment.
While the name Makaveli has its roots in ancient Rome and gained prominence through the works of Niccolò Machiavelli, it has taken on a new meaning and significance in modern popular culture, particularly in the realm of hip-hop and rap music, where it has become associated with political awareness, rebellion against the establishment, and strategic thinking.
People
Makaveli + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makaveli 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
Makaveli: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makaveli?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 135 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makaveli 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 2,538,921 US residents.
Is Makaveli a common name?
We classify Makaveli as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 136 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makaveli most popular?
The single biggest year for Makaveli was 2022, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makaveli is about 12 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 Makaveli in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Makaveli a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makaveli 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 Makaveli still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Makaveli 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 Makaveli 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 are called Makaveli?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.