Makena
Makena was the 2740th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 2005, when it ranked 718th with 381 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,611 places. More babies were named Makena in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Makenna) son of Cionaodh (from McKenna) · Irish, American English
- Rank in 2025
- #2,740 girls, down 1,027 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 63girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2005381 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,652babies recorded
What does the name Makena mean?
Makena is a spelling of Makenna, pronounced the same way, so it shares Makenna's meaning and origin.
Makenna is a variant of McKenna invented in the 1980s, according to Wiktionary. McKenna is the Irish and Scottish surname Mac Cionaodha, "son of Cionaodh", a name usually anglicized as Kenneth. The early Gaelic name Cináed is of uncertain meaning. As a girl's first name, Makenna is an American respelling of the surname.
Mac Cionaodha (Irish, “son of Cionaodh”)
How sure is this? Probable. 'Son of Cionaodh' is clear; Cionaodh's own meaning is not.
Related names: Mckenna, McKenna, Kenna.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Makenna', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kenna', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kenneth', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
Makena popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 84 since 1992.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,740 | 63 |
| 2020 | #1,713 | 119 |
| 2010 | #899 | 294 |
| 2000 | #1,043 | 201 |
| 1990 | #6,711 | 13 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Makena, counting every spelling?
Makena is a spelling of Makenna, a name family that ranked #503 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,740 for Makena on its own. Together these spellings went to 612 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Makenna | 495 | #593 | 3,365 |
| Makena | 63 | #2,740 | 498 |
| Mackenna | 49 | #3,233 | 333 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Makena?
63 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Makena (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Makena born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 133 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Makena.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Makena?
About 6,500 people born in the US named Makena are alive today, with a median age of 18; half are between 12 and 23. That makes Makena mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Makena by state
How common Makena was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.4×). In 40 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Makena: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Makena, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Makena
What does Makena mean?
Makena is a spelling of Makenna, which means “son of Cionaodh (from McKenna)” (Irish, American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Makena?
Makena was the 2740th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 63 babies. Its best year was 2005, when it ranked 718th with 381 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,611 places. More babies were named Makena in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Makena a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Makena in the US.
Where is Makena most popular?
In 2021–2025, Makena was most common in Hawaii (1.22 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Washington.