2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Makanani
A Hawaiian surname meaning "many eyes", likely referring to vigilance or observation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Makanani. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Makanani surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Makanani in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Makanani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (30.6%) and Hispanic (11.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Makanani
The surname MAKANANI is of Hawaiian origin, tracing its roots back to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. The name is believed to have emerged during the pre-colonial era, prior to the arrival of European explorers and settlers in the late 18th century.
MAKANANI is derived from the Hawaiian words "maka" meaning "eye" and "nani" meaning "beautiful" or "attractive." The combination of these words suggests that the name may have been originally bestowed upon individuals with striking or captivating eyes, a trait highly valued in traditional Hawaiian culture.
While the exact origin of the surname is unclear, it is possible that MAKANANI was initially used as a descriptive epithet or nickname, which later evolved into a hereditary surname passed down through generations. In Hawaiian tradition, names often carried deep symbolic meaning, reflecting physical characteristics, personality traits, or significant events.
Historical records from the Hawaiian Kingdom era, spanning the late 18th to late 19th centuries, have documented the presence of individuals bearing the surname MAKANANI. One notable figure was Keoni Makanani, a high-ranking ali'i (chief) who played a prominent role in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands under King Kamehameha I in the early 1800s.
Another individual of note was Kalani Makanani, a respected kahuna (priest) and navigator who lived during the reign of King Kamehameha III in the mid-19th century. Kalani was renowned for his expertise in traditional Hawaiian wayfinding techniques, guiding voyaging canoes across vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean.
In the late 19th century, a prominent Hawaiian scholar and historian, Kepelino Makanani, authored several influential works documenting Hawaiian cultural traditions, legends, and genealogies. His writings have become invaluable resources for understanding the rich heritage of the Hawaiian people.
During the early 20th century, a renowned Hawaiian musician and composer, Joseph Makanani, gained acclaim for his contributions to the revitalization of traditional Hawaiian music and dance. His compositions, which drew inspiration from ancient chants and melodies, played a significant role in preserving and promoting Hawaiian cultural identity.
In more recent times, the MAKANANI surname has been carried by notable figures such as Keahi Makanani, a respected kumu hula (hula teacher) who has dedicated her life to perpetuating the art of hula and sharing its cultural significance with future generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Makanani
Among Census respondents with the surname Makanani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (30.6%) and Hispanic (11.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Makanani bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Makanani surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander49.6% · 60
- Two or more races30.6% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino11.6% · 14
- White6.6% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Makanani
Makanani appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+13 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,223 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 10,223 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Makanani surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #151,532 | #141,309 | 6.7% |
| Count | 108 | 121 | 12.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Makanani bearers went from 108 to 121 (+12.0% change). The surname moved up 10,223 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #141,309.
FAQ
Makanani surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Makanani?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Makanani. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Makanani?
Makanani ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Makanani. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Makanani.
Has Makanani become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Makanani went from 108 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 13 (+12.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Makanani?
Among Census respondents with the surname Makanani, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 49.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (30.6%) and Hispanic (11.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Makanani in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.6% (60 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Makanani appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (49.6%), Two or More Races (30.6%), Hispanic (11.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Makanani (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Makanani mean?
A Hawaiian surname meaning "many eyes", likely referring to vigilance or observation. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Makanani (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Makanani?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.