Makhai
From the ancient Greek language, meaning "warlike" or "battle-like".
Name Census estimates that about 936 living Americans carry the first name Makhai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Makhai today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makhai births was 2017 (59 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makhai. 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
936
~ 1 in 366,191 Americans
Peak year
2017
59 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,139
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Makhai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Makhai from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 480 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Makhai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Makhai 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 Makhai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Makhais live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. Florida, California, Georgia recorded the most babies named Makhai, while New Jersey, Maryland, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Makhai
The given name Makhai has its origins in the ancient Greek language, dating back to the classical period of ancient Greece, around the 5th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "machē," which means "battle" or "fight." This suggests that the name was likely originally given to individuals who were renowned warriors or soldiers in ancient Greek society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Makhai appears in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BCE. He mentions a Spartan soldier named Makhai who fought bravely in the Battle of Thermopylae against the Persian invaders in 480 BCE.
In ancient Greek mythology, there is a figure named Makhai, who was personified as the goddess of battle and war. She was often depicted alongside her siblings, the gods Deimos (Terror) and Phobos (Fear), as they accompanied the god Ares, the god of war, into battle.
Throughout the centuries, the name Makhai has been associated with various notable figures in history. One such individual was Makhai of Corinth, a Greek playwright who lived in the 3rd century BCE and is credited with writing several comedies, although only fragments of his works remain today.
Another prominent figure was Makhai of Tarsus, a Stoic philosopher who lived in the 2nd century BCE and was a student of the renowned philosopher Panaetius. He is known for his contributions to the development of Stoic philosophy and his teachings on ethics and virtue.
In the medieval period, there was a Byzantine general named Makhai Doukas, who lived in the 11th century CE and played a crucial role in the military campaigns of the Byzantine Empire against the Seljuk Turks.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the name Makhai was Makhai Khalkokondyles, a Greek scholar and humanist who lived in the 15th century CE. He was known for his translations of ancient Greek texts and his efforts to preserve and promote the study of classical Greek literature.
In more recent times, there have been several individuals with the name Makhai who have achieved recognition in various fields, such as art, literature, and politics, although their influence and impact may not be as historically significant as the earlier figures mentioned.
People
Makhai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makhai 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
Makhai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makhai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 936 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makhai 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 366,191 US residents.
Is Makhai a common name?
We classify Makhai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 944 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makhai most popular?
The single biggest year for Makhai was 2017, when 59 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makhai is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Makhai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makhai 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.