Girls' name · since 1970
Makela
Since 1970, U.S. Social Security records show 292 babies named Makela, peaking in 1996. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #16,143 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 292
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
292 girls have been named Makela since 1970, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Makela has been recorded 292 times among girls since 1970, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1970 to 2017.
- #16,143 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 292 born since 1970
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Makela ranks #16,143 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 292 born since 1970, peaking in the 2000s.
- #16,143 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 292
- born since 1970
- 2000s
- peak decade
Makela's 292 recorded births place it above 77.66% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Makela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Makela's full recorded timeline at 1998, 58% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 42% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1973, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1996 peak of 19 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Makela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1970–2017
- Peak year (1996)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 48 years of records
Makela by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (121 births, 41% of the file).
2000s was Makela's strongest decade.
121 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Makela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 35
1970s
35 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s
1990s
113 births
- 2000s
2000s
121 births
- 2010s 18
2010s
18 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 121 births (41% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Makela? ▼
Where does Makela sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Makela most popular? ▼
How long has the name Makela been used? ▼
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What to do with Makela's data
- Makela's decade-level peak was the 2000s (121 total births); usage has since declined to 18 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Makela
Nearby Names Like Makela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Makela
Compare Makela side by side: Makela vs Makayla Makela vs Makenzie Makela vs Makenna
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Makela: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1996)
Similar record span (~47 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1970–2017 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Makela 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 August 2026.