Total births
2,764
Girls' name · since 1980
Makaela
2,764 babies named Makaela in U.S. Social Security records since 1980, with the highest year being 1998. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6743
- among girls today
- 2,764
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other girls
2,764 babies have been named Makaela since 1980, making it today's #6743 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Makaela recorded 2,764 times among girls since 1980, holding rank #6743 nationally today, ahead of 62% of girls, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1980 to 2025.
- #6743 among girls today
- 2,764 born since 1980
- 2000s peak decade
- 62% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Makaela is currently the #6743 girls' name in America, more common than 62% of girls - 2,764 born since 1980, peaking in the 2000s.
- #6743
- among girls today
- 2,764
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 62%
- more common than other girls
Makaela vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6743
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 62% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
44% of everyone ever named Makaela was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
145 babies were named Makaela in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Makaela compares
2,764 Top 18% higher than 82% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Makaela's all-time total is 7x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Makaela | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,764 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 145 | 48 | 19,840 |
Makaela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Makaela splits its recorded history at 2004: 51% of all births land in the more recent half, 49% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1983 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1998 peak of 145 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Makaela at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#6,743
Active since
1980
Makaela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 145
- Annual births at peak, across 46 years of records
Makaela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Makaela's strongest decade.
1,216 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Makaela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 52
1980s
52 births
- 1990s
1990s
773 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,216 births
- 2010s
2010s
620 births
- 2020s 103
2020s
103 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,216 births (44% of all-time use).
How Makaela compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Makaela's total volume
Makaela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Makaela by state
Where Makaela concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 337 | 12.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 212 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 104 | 3.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 76 | 2.7% |
| #5 | Washington | | 50 | 1.8% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 44 | 1.6% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 43 | 1.6% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 40 | 1.4% |
California share of Makaela's total US births 12.2%
Even split
337 of 2,764 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Makaela appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Makaela? ▼
2,764 babies have been named Makaela since 1980. It currently ranks #6743 among girls. The peak year was 1998 with 145 births.
When was Makaela most popular? ▼
Makaela was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,216 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Makaela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Makaela are California (337 births), Texas (212 births), Florida (104 births).
How long has the name Makaela been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Makaela since 1980 -- 46 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Makaela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Makayla, Makenzie, Makenna, Makena, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Makaela's data
- Makaela's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,216 total births); usage has since declined to 103 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Makaelas (337 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Makaela
Nearby Names Like Makaela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Makaela
Makayla Girl
#542 108,030 births
Makenzie Girl
#638 45,023 births
Makenna Girl
#523 33,741 births
Makena Girl
#2023 6,568 births
Makaila Girl
#6738 4,747 births
Compare Makaela side by side: Makaela vs Makayla Makaela vs Makenzie Makaela vs Makenna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Makaela
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1980–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Makaela: #6743 Girls' Name - 2,764 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/makaela. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Makaela draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.