Makylah
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly a variant of Michaela.
Name Census estimates that about 537 living Americans carry the first name Makylah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Makylah today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Makylah births was 2010 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Makylah. 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
537
~ 1 in 638,276 Americans
Peak year
2010
43 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,727
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Makylah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Makylah 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 267 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Makylah 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 Makylah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Makylahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Illinois, Texas, Georgia recorded the most babies named Makylah, while Mississippi, Georgia, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Makylah
The name Makylah is of relatively recent origin and appears to be an anglicized form of the Arabic name Makhila. The name Makhila itself is derived from the Arabic word "makhlah," which means "creation" or "creature." This suggests that the name Makylah may have been influenced by the Arabic language and culture.
The earliest known usage of the name Makylah can be traced back to the late 20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. It is possible that the name was created as a unique and distinctive variation of more traditional names like Michaela or Mikayla.
While the name Makylah does not have a long historical record, there are a few notable individuals who have carried this name. One of the earliest recorded examples is Makylah Bray, an American actress born in 1997, who has appeared in several television shows and films.
Another individual with this name is Makylah Coley, an American track and field athlete who specializes in hurdling events. She competed for the University of Arkansas and was a member of the school's nationally ranked track and field team.
In the literary world, Makylah Merrigan is a contemporary American author known for her young adult fiction novels. Her works often explore themes of identity, relationships, and self-discovery.
On the musical front, Makylah Jade is an American singer-songwriter who gained popularity through social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok. She is known for her soulful and emotional performances.
Lastly, Makylah Boudreaux is a former American basketball player who played for the University of South Carolina from 2015 to 2019. She was a key contributor to the team's success during her collegiate career.
While the name Makylah may be relatively new, it has already found a place in various fields, from entertainment to sports and literature. As a unique and distinctive name, it is likely that more individuals will embrace it in the future, potentially adding to its historical significance.
People
Makylah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Makylah 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
Makylah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Makylah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 537 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Makylah 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 638,276 US residents.
Is Makylah a common name?
We classify Makylah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 543 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Makylah most popular?
The single biggest year for Makylah was 2010, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Makylah is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Makylah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Makylah 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.