Makel
A diminutive variation on the Hebrew name Michael, denoting "who is like God?".
Name Census estimates that about 784 living Americans carry the first name Makel. It is a predominantly male name (93.9% of registrations). The average person named Makel today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makel births was 2007 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makel. 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
784
~ 1 in 437,187 Americans
Peak year
2007
56 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,524
Tracked since 1996
Gender
Gender distribution for Makel
Makel leans heavily male at 93.9% of total registrations, but 48 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Makel as a male name
- Ranked #7,524 in 2024
- 11 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2005 (52 births)
Makel as a female name
- Ranked #13,339 in 2008
- 8 female births in 2008
- Peak: 2001 (9 births)
Popularity
Makel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Makel from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 412 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Makel 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 Makel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Makels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Georgia, Missouri, Alabama recorded the most babies named Makel, while Tennessee, South Carolina, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Makel
The name Makel is believed to have originated from the Hebrew language and culture. It is thought to be derived from the Hebrew word "makleth," which means "staff" or "rod." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially associated with authority, leadership, or guidance.
In ancient times, the name Makel appeared in various religious texts and historical records from the Middle Eastern region. One notable mention is found in the Book of Exodus, where the term "makleth" is used to describe the staff carried by Moses during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
The earliest recorded use of the name Makel itself can be traced back to the 6th century BCE, when it was documented as the name of a Jewish scribe and scholar residing in ancient Babylon. This individual, Makel ben Yehudah, is recognized for his contributions to the preservation and study of religious texts during the Babylonian exile.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Makel. One prominent example is Makel al-Tawil (1020-1092), an Arab mathematician and astronomer from medieval Spain. He made significant contributions to the fields of geometry and trigonometry, and his works influenced the development of mathematics in Europe during the Renaissance period.
Another historical figure named Makel was Makel ibn al-Qadiri (1153-1233), a Sufi mystic and scholar from Damascus. He is renowned for his writings on Islamic spirituality and his role in establishing the Qadiri Sufi order, which remains influential in various parts of the Middle East and South Asia.
In the 14th century, Makel al-Dimashqi (1325-1405) was a renowned Syrian historian and geographer. His extensive work, "Nukhbat al-Dahr fi 'Aja'ib al-Barr wa al-Bahr" (The Cream of the Age Concerning the Marvels of Land and Sea), provided valuable insights into the cultural and geographical landscape of the medieval Islamic world.
During the Renaissance period, Makel Ghiberti (1378-1455) was an Italian sculptor and artist known for his remarkable bronze relief panels adorning the doors of the Baptistery of Florence. His work, often referred to as the "Gates of Paradise," is considered a masterpiece of early Renaissance art and a significant influence on subsequent generations of artists.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Makel throughout history, reflecting its presence across various cultures, religions, and fields of study.
People
Makel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makel 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
Makel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 784 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makel 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 437,187 US residents.
Is Makel a common name?
We classify Makel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 793 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makel most popular?
The single biggest year for Makel was 2007, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makel is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Makel a male name?
Yes, 93.9% of people registered as Makel 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.
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.