Makenah
An Arabic name meaning "homeland", "abode", or "dwelling place".
Name Census estimates that about 286 living Americans carry the first name Makenah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Makenah today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makenah births was 2008 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makenah. 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
286
~ 1 in 1,198,442 Americans
Peak year
2008
29 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2018 SSA rank
#17,210
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Makenah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Makenah from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 164 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Makenah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Makenah 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 Makenah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Makenahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Makenah
The name Makenah has its origins in the Arabic language and culture, dating back several centuries. It is derived from the Arabic root word "makana," which means "to settle" or "to establish." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were known for their ability to establish themselves or their communities in a particular place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Makenah can be found in historical texts from the 7th century, during the time of the Islamic expansion across the Middle East and North Africa. It is believed that some of the early bearers of this name were companions or followers of the Prophet Muhammad, who played a role in the spread of Islam and the establishment of new settlements.
In the 10th century, a woman named Makenah bint al-Hasan al-Hashimiya was a renowned scholar and poet in the city of Cordoba, which was then part of the Umayyad Caliphate. Her works and contributions to literature and intellectual discourse during that time have been documented in various historical records.
Another notable figure with the name Makenah was a 12th-century Sufi mystic and scholar from Persia, known as Makenah al-Baghdadi. He was known for his teachings on spiritual enlightenment and his writings on the mystical aspects of Islam.
In the 14th century, a woman named Makenah bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq was a prominent figure in the court of the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt. She was known for her philanthropy and her support of various educational and religious institutions.
During the 16th century, a man named Makenah al-Ansari was a renowned Islamic scholar and jurist in the Ottoman Empire. He wrote extensively on Islamic law and jurisprudence, and his works were widely studied and referenced by scholars of his time.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Makenah. While the name may have fallen out of common use in recent times, its historical significance and deep roots in Arabic culture and Islamic tradition are undeniable.
People
Makenah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makenah 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
Makenah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makenah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 286 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makenah 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 1,198,442 US residents.
Is Makenah a common name?
We classify Makenah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makenah most popular?
The single biggest year for Makenah was 2008, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makenah is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Makenah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makenah 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.