Makay
A Scottish Gaelic masculine name meaning "son of fire".
Name Census estimates that about 76 living Americans carry the first name Makay. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 54.5% of registrations being female. The average person named Makay today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makay births was 1999 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makay. 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 Makay. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
76
~ 1 in 4,509,926 Americans
Peak year
1999
13 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2012 SSA rank
#13,477
Tracked since 1994
Census
Makay in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 239 people with the first name Makay, which placed it at #34,236 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#34,236
National first-name rank
People counted
239
239 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
55.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Makay
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Makay is White at 55.2%. The next largest groups are Black (31.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Makay described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Makay at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.2% · 132
- Black or African American31.4% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.0% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 10
- Two or more races2.5% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 4
Gender
Gender distribution for Makay
Makay is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 77 total registrations, 35 (45.5%) were male and 42 (54.5%) were female.
Makay as a male name
- Ranked #13,477 in 2012
- 5 male births in 2012
- Peak: 1999 (8 births)
Makay as a female name
- Ranked #17,468 in 2017
- 5 female births in 2017
- Peak: 2009 (6 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Makay on both sides of the split. Of the 246 people counted with this name, 96 were male (39.0%) and 150 were female (61.0%).
Popularity
Makay: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Makay from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 35 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
Makay 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 Makay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Makays live
Origin
Meaning and history of Makay
The name Makay is believed to have its origins in the Polynesian languages, specifically the Hawaiian language. It is thought to be derived from the Hawaiian word "makā," which means "eye" or "watchful." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were considered observant, vigilant, or with keen sight.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Makay can be traced back to the 18th century in the Hawaiian islands. It was during this time that European explorers and missionaries began documenting the names and languages of the indigenous Hawaiian people. However, the name likely existed long before this period, as Hawaiian culture has a rich oral tradition dating back centuries.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Makay was a Hawaiian chief who lived in the late 18th century. While historical records from this time are scarce, his name is mentioned in some accounts of early European encounters with the Hawaiian islands. Unfortunately, detailed information about his life and accomplishments is limited.
In the 19th century, a notable figure named Makay emerged in the Hawaiian kingdom. He was a trusted advisor and confidant to King Kamehameha III, who ruled from 1825 to 1854. Makay played a significant role in the governance of the kingdom during this period and was instrumental in negotiating treaties and maintaining relationships with foreign powers.
Another prominent individual with the name Makay was a Hawaiian scholar and historian who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He dedicated his life to preserving and documenting the rich cultural heritage of the Hawaiian people. His works provided invaluable insights into the traditions, language, and history of the islands.
In more recent times, a renowned Hawaiian artist and sculptor named Makay gained recognition for his intricate wood carvings and sculptures that celebrated the beauty and symbolism of Hawaiian culture. Born in the early 20th century, his works have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.
Furthermore, a notable Hawaiian musician and composer named Makay gained popularity in the mid-20th century for his contributions to the traditional Hawaiian music genre. His compositions blended traditional melodies with contemporary influences, capturing the essence of Hawaiian culture through music.
While the name Makay may not be as common today as it once was, it remains an important part of Hawaiian cultural heritage, carrying with it the rich history and traditions of the islands. Its meaning and significance continue to resonate with those who appreciate the beauty and depth of the Hawaiian language and culture.
People
Makay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makay 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
Makay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 76 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makay 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 4,509,926 US residents.
Is Makay a common name?
We classify Makay as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 77 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makay most popular?
The single biggest year for Makay was 1999, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makay is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Makay in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 239 people with the name Makay, or 0.08 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #34,236 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Makay in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Makay?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Makay on both sides of the split. Of the 246 people counted with this name, 96 were male (39.0%) and 150 were female (61.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Makay?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Makay is White at 55.2%. The next largest groups are Black (31.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (5.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Makay most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Makay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.2% (132 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Makay in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Makay a female name?
Yes, 54.5% of people registered as Makay in the SSA data are female. 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 Makay still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Makay 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 Makay 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.
How many people are named Makay?
Find out how many Americans are named Makay on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.