Makis
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "blessed" or "happy".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Makis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Makis today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makis births was 2012 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makis. 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 Makis. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
2012
7 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2012 SSA rank
#10,372
Tracked since 2012
Popularity
Makis: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Makis 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 Makis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Makis
The name Makis has its origins in Greek culture and language, dating back to ancient times. It is a diminutive form of the Greek name Makarios, which means "blessed" or "happy." The name's roots can be traced back to the Koine Greek word "makarios," which was used in the New Testament to describe those who were blessed or fortunate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Makis can be found in the writings of the Greek philosopher Plutarch, who lived in the 1st century AD. He mentioned a man named Makis who was a renowned sculptor from the island of Chios. This suggests that the name was in use during the Hellenistic period.
In the Byzantine era, the name Makis appeared in several historical records and chronicles. One notable figure was Makis Angelos, a high-ranking Byzantine military commander who lived in the 12th century. He played a significant role in the conflicts against the Seljuk Turks and the Crusaders.
During the Renaissance period, the name Makis gained popularity in Italy, particularly in the city of Florence. A famous Florentine artist named Makis Lappoli, born in 1501, was known for his exceptional frescoes and paintings adorning churches and palaces throughout the region.
In the 18th century, a Greek scholar and philosopher named Makis Kastorias made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and astronomy. He was born in 1720 and spent much of his life teaching and writing in Paris, where he gained recognition for his work on celestial mechanics.
Another notable figure was Makis Kyriazis, a Greek revolutionary who fought against the Ottoman Empire during the Greek War of Independence in the early 19th century. Born in 1789, he was a highly respected military leader and played a crucial role in several battles that ultimately led to the establishment of the modern Greek state.
While the name Makis has its roots in ancient Greek culture, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly in countries with Greek diaspora communities. However, its usage and popularity have varied across different regions and time periods.
People
Makis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makis 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
Makis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makis 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Makis a common name?
We classify Makis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makis most popular?
The single biggest year for Makis was 2012, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makis is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Makis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Makis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makis 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.
Is Makis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Makis 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 Makis 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Makis?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Makis, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.