Mekaal
A masculine name likely of Arabic origin meaning "God's angel".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Mekaal. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Mekaal today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mekaal births was 2017 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mekaal. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Mekaal with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Mekaal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2017
7 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#10,409
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Mekaal: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mekaal 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 Mekaal 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 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mekaal
The name Mekaal finds its origins in the ancient Aramaic language, traced back to the Mesopotamian region around the 5th century BCE. Derived from the root words "mekal" meaning "king" and "el" referring to a deity, Mekaal was a name bestowed upon those believed to be blessed by the gods and destined for greatness.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the Talmudic texts, where a wise scholar named Mekaal Ben Ezra is referenced. His teachings and philosophical musings were highly regarded during the 2nd century CE in the region now known as modern-day Israel and Palestine.
In the 7th century CE, a wealthy merchant from the city of Basra named Mekaal Ibn Saba played a pivotal role in facilitating trade routes across the Arabian Peninsula, contributing to the region's economic prosperity during the early Islamic era.
Fast forward to the 12th century, and we encounter Mekaal al-Dimashqi, a renowned poet and calligrapher from Damascus whose works were celebrated for their intricate beauty and profound insights into the human condition.
The 16th century brought forth Mekaal Bey, a Ottoman statesman and military commander who played a crucial role in the expansion of the empire's territories, leading campaigns across Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
In more recent times, Mekaal Keaton, a prolific African-American author born in 1920, made significant contributions to the literary world with his poignant narratives exploring themes of identity, race, and social justice.
These are just a few examples of the illustrious individuals who have carried the name Mekaal throughout history, each leaving an indelible mark on their respective fields and eras.
People
Mekaal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mekaal 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
Mekaal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mekaal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mekaal 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Mekaal a common name?
We classify Mekaal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mekaal most popular?
The single biggest year for Mekaal was 2017, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mekaal is about 9 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 Mekaal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Mekaal a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mekaal 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 Mekaal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Mekaal 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 Mekaal 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 common is the name Mekaal?
See how many people have the name Mekaal on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.