Mekeba
An Amharic name meaning "resemblance to the King or Queen".
Name Census estimates that about 27 living Americans carry the first name Mekeba. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mekeba today is around 53 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mekeba births was 1974 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mekeba. 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 Mekeba. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
27
~ 1 in 12,694,605 Americans
Peak year
1974
7 babies that year
Average age
53
years old
1976 SSA rank
#8,825
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Mekeba: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Mekeba 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 Mekeba during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 30 | 30 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Mekeba
The given name Mekeba has its origins in ancient Sumerian culture, dating back to around 3000 BCE. It is derived from the Sumerian words "me," meaning "to be," and "keba," meaning "wise" or "knowledgeable." Thus, the name Mekeba can be interpreted as "one who is wise" or "one who has knowledge."
In the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), names often carried significant meanings and were believed to influence a person's character and destiny. The name Mekeba was likely bestowed upon individuals who were expected to possess wisdom and intellectual prowess.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mekeba can be found in a cuneiform tablet from the city of Ur, which dates back to around 2500 BCE. This tablet contains a list of names, including Mekeba, suggesting that the name was in use during the height of the Sumerian civilization.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Mekeba. One of the earliest recorded figures was Mekeba of Nippur, a renowned Sumerian scholar and scribe who lived around 2300 BCE. He is credited with contributing to the preservation and advancement of Sumerian literature and knowledge.
Another prominent figure was Mekeba the Wise, a Sumerian philosopher and teacher who lived in the city of Eridu around 2100 BCE. His teachings and writings on ethics, morality, and the nature of existence were highly influential during his time and have been referenced in later works.
In the realm of religion, Mekeba of Uruk was a high priestess of the goddess Inanna, one of the most revered deities in the Sumerian pantheon. She lived around 2000 BCE and is believed to have played a significant role in the religious and cultural life of the city of Uruk.
Moving forward in time, Mekeba the Scribe was a renowned Babylonian scholar who lived during the reign of King Hammurabi, around 1750 BCE. He is known for his contributions to the preservation and study of Sumerian and Akkadian literature, as well as his work in the field of law and governance.
Lastly, Mekeba the Astronomer was a notable figure from the city of Babylon who lived around 600 BCE. He is credited with making significant contributions to the study of astronomy and the recording of celestial observations, which were instrumental in the development of early scientific knowledge in Mesopotamia.
While the name Mekeba may not be as prevalent in modern times, its rich history and connection to ancient Sumerian culture serve as a testament to the enduring impact of this civilization on the development of human knowledge and wisdom.
People
Mekeba + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mekeba 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
Mekeba: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mekeba?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 27 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mekeba 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 12,694,605 US residents.
Is Mekeba a common name?
We classify Mekeba as "Very Rare". It ranks above 44.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 30 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mekeba most popular?
The single biggest year for Mekeba was 1974, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mekeba is about 53 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mekeba a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mekeba 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.