Makeda
A feminine name of Ethiopian origin meaning "Queen of Sheba".
Name Census estimates that about 1,687 living Americans carry the first name Makeda. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Makeda today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makeda births was 1985 (85 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makeda. 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
1.7K
~ 1 in 203,174 Americans
Peak year
1985
85 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,880
Tracked since 1968
Popularity
Makeda: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Makeda from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 432 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Makeda 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 Makeda during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Makedas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. New York, Florida, California recorded the most babies named Makeda, while Washington, Illinois, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 59 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Makeda
The name Makeda has its origins in the ancient Semitic languages of the Horn of Africa region, particularly in the languages spoken in modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is believed to be derived from the root word "mkd," which means "to burn" or "to be great."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Makeda is in the Kebra Nagast, a 14th-century Ethiopic text that recounts the story of the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon. In this text, the Queen of Sheba is referred to as Makeda, and her encounter with Solomon is depicted as a pivotal event in the founding of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia.
Historically, the name Makeda has been associated with several notable figures. One of the most famous is the legendary Queen of Sheba herself, who is believed to have reigned over the ancient kingdom of Sheba in what is now Yemen or Ethiopia, around the 10th century BCE. Her visit to King Solomon's court in Jerusalem is described in various religious texts, including the Bible and the Quran.
Another prominent figure associated with the name Makeda is Makeda, the Queen of Ethiopia who ruled during the late 10th century CE. She is credited with expanding the influence of the Aksumite Empire and promoting the spread of Christianity within her realm.
In the 16th century, Makeda was the name of a daughter of the Ethiopian Emperor Lebna Dengel, who ruled from 1508 to 1540. She played a significant role in the court politics of her time and was known for her intelligence and diplomatic skills.
In more recent history, Makeda Qemwoyizeru Tafari (1915-1975) was an Ethiopian princess and the daughter of Emperor Haile Selassie. She was actively involved in various charitable and educational initiatives in Ethiopia and served as a representative of her country on the international stage.
Another notable figure named Makeda is Makeda Breed (born 1958), an American actress and writer known for her roles in films such as "The Brothers" and "Soul Food." She has also worked as a producer and director, contributing to projects that explore African American culture and experiences.
People
Makeda + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makeda 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
Makeda: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makeda?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,687 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makeda 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 203,174 US residents.
Is Makeda a common name?
We classify Makeda as "Rare". It ranks above 93% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,752 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makeda most popular?
The single biggest year for Makeda was 1985, when 85 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makeda is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Makeda a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makeda 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.
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.