Makena
How to say it: muh-KAY-nuh · /məˈkeɪnə/
From the Kikuyu language of Kenya, meaning 'happy one' or 'the joyful one'.
Makena was the 1,407th most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 63 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 2000s, its births are down about 65% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #1,907 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #1,407 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 63 |
| Share of births | 1 in 29,601 |
| Peak decade | 2000s |
| Change over 10 years | −65% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #1,907 |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Makena is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Makena is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English.
Famous people named Makena
- Makena Onjerika (born 1950)Kenyan writer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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