UK boy's name
Mak
An English name derived from the Germanic name Macco, a pet form of names containing "maht" meaning "might" or "strength".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2007. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mak is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Mak popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2007 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4333, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 4 births.
This profile covers 16 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 1997 to 2007. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 16 living people in the UK are called Mak. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2008 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mak ranked #4333 for boys in England and Wales in 2007, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 4 boys were registered as Mak.
- • About 16 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mak as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4333
2007
Births in 2007
3
Latest year
Peak year
2006
4 births
Estimated living
16
2026
Meaning
What does Mak mean?
The name Mak has its origins in several cultures and languages, with varying meanings and historical significance. One possible origin is from the Scottish Gaelic word "mac," which means "son." This prefix was commonly used in Scottish and Irish surnames to denote a person's paternal lineage.
Another potential source of the name Mak is from the Arabic word "makki," which refers to someone from the city of Mecca in present-day Saudi Arabia. This name was likely used to identify individuals who had undertaken the pilgrimage to Mecca or had ties to the holy city.
In Dutch and German, the name Mak is a diminutive form of the name Matthias or Matthäus, which is derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning "gift of God." This name has biblical roots, as it was the name of one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.
The name Mak has also been found in ancient Egyptian records, where it was possibly a shortened form of the name Makmakh or Makhemakhet, which were common names in ancient Egypt. However, the precise meaning and origin of these ancient Egyptian names are uncertain.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Mak was Mak Dezideriusz, a Polish nobleman who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and served as a royal courtier and diplomat.
Another notable figure with the name Mak was Mak Dikhau, a Khasi warrior and leader from the northeastern region of India. He played a significant role in the resistance against British colonial rule in the early 19th century.
In literature, the name Mak appears in the medieval Scottish play "Sir David Lyndsay's Satire of the Three Estates," where one of the characters is named Mak, representing a crafty and mischievous figure.
Other historical individuals with the name Mak include Mak Yong, a Malaysian dance-drama performer from the 18th century, and Mak Whannell, an Australian screenwriter and actor born in 1975, best known for his work in the "Saw" film franchise.
Mak Dau, a Chinese martial artist and Qigong master from the 19th century, was also a prominent figure who contributed to the preservation and promotion of traditional Chinese martial arts and healing practices.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mak over time
The chart below shows babies named Mak registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2007. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mak, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2007, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mak by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mak was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3698 | 13 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2859 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Mak
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Mak: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mak in the UK right now?
In 2007, Mak was ranked #4333 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Mak most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 4 babies registered as Mak in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mak?
An English name derived from the Germanic name Macco, a pet form of names containing "maht" meaning "might" or "strength".
How many people are called Mak in the UK?
A total of 16 babies have been registered as Mak across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.