Mehkai
A gender-neutral name derived from Arabic, potentially meaning "gentle" or "humble".
Name Census estimates that about 219 living Americans carry the first name Mehkai. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mehkai today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mehkai births was 2017 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mehkai. 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
219
~ 1 in 1,565,088 Americans
Peak year
2017
17 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,516
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Mehkai: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mehkai from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 103 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Mehkai remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mehkai 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 Mehkai during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mehkai
The name Mehkai is a modern variant of the ancient Hebrew name Micah. Its origins can be traced back to the biblical prophet Micah, who lived in the 8th century BCE. The name Micah is derived from the Hebrew word "mi-kah," which means "who is like the Lord?" or "who is like Yahweh?" This reflects the profound reverence for God in ancient Israelite culture.
The name Mehkai is believed to have emerged as a creative spelling variation in recent centuries, possibly influenced by other cultures or languages. While the name Micah has a long and well-documented history in the Hebrew Bible and Jewish tradition, specific records of the earliest uses of the variant spelling Mehkai are scarce.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mehkai can be found in the writings of the 17th-century English poet and clergyman John Milton. In his epic poem "Paradise Lost," Milton mentions a character named Mehkai, though it's unclear whether this was intentional or a misspelling of the more common Micah.
In the 19th century, a notable figure named Mehkai Winder (1822-1899) was a prominent abolitionist and civil rights activist in the United States. He was born into slavery but later became a successful businessman and philanthropist, using his platform to advocate for the abolition of slavery and equal rights.
Another historical figure bearing the name Mehkai was Mehkai Takahashi (1874-1957), a Japanese diplomat and statesman who played a significant role in Japan's foreign relations during the early 20th century. He served as the Japanese ambassador to several countries and was known for his efforts to promote international cooperation and peace.
In the realm of literature, Mehkai Akbar (1920-1988) was a celebrated Pakistani poet and writer. His works, often centered on themes of love, spirituality, and social commentary, have left a lasting impact on the literary landscape of Pakistan and the larger Urdu-speaking world.
Lastly, Mehkai Vázquez (1942-2016) was a renowned Mexican artist and sculptor. His abstract and minimalist sculptures, often made from materials like steel and concrete, have been exhibited in galleries and public spaces around the world, earning him recognition as one of Mexico's most influential contemporary artists.
While the name Mehkai may be a relatively modern variation, it carries the rich cultural heritage and spiritual significance of its Hebrew roots, reflecting the enduring influence of ancient traditions on modern naming practices.
People
Mehkai + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mehkai 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
Mehkai: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mehkai?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 219 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mehkai 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 1,565,088 US residents.
Is Mehkai a common name?
We classify Mehkai as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 221 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mehkai most popular?
The single biggest year for Mehkai was 2017, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mehkai is about 12 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 Mehkai in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mehkai a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mehkai 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 Mehkai still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mehkai 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 Mehkai 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 Mehkai as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Mehkai, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.