NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Makala

Name of Hawaiian origin meaning "fragrant, perfumed flower".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2004. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Makala is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Makala popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2004 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3197, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 5 births.

This profile covers 12 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 1996 to 2004. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.

Makala is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 15 living people in the UK are called Makala. 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 2005 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Makala ranked #3197 for girls in England and Wales in 2004, with 5 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2004, when 5 girls were registered as Makala.
  • Makala ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2005.
  • About 15 living people in the UK are estimated to have Makala as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3197

2004

Births in 2004

5

Latest year

Peak year

2004

5 births

Estimated living

15

2026

Meaning

What does Makala mean?

The name Makala is believed to have its origins in the Hawaiian language, where it is thought to be a variant of the name Mahealani, meaning "heavenly moonlight" or "moon in the sky." The name is derived from the Hawaiian words "mahea," meaning "moon," and "lani," meaning "sky" or "heaven."

Makala is a relatively modern name, with no recorded historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, its Hawaiian roots suggest that it may have been used in the Hawaiian Islands for centuries, albeit in its original form of Mahealani.

The earliest recorded examples of the name Makala date back to the late 19th century, when Hawaiian names began to gain popularity in the United States. One of the earliest known individuals with the name Makala was Makala Kupihea (born in 1876), a Hawaiian singer and musician who performed traditional Hawaiian music.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Makala. For instance, Makala Anehata (born in 1923) was a Hawaiian artist and educator who was renowned for her intricate quilting patterns and her contributions to preserving Hawaiian cultural traditions.

Another notable figure was Makala Kapahulehua (1894-1976), a Hawaiian activist and political leader who fought for Hawaiian sovereignty and the preservation of indigenous land rights.

In the realm of sports, Makala Auwae (born in 1965) was a Hawaiian surfer who became a champion in longboard surfing competitions during the 1980s and 1990s.

Makala Kahele (born in 1947) was a Hawaiian writer and poet whose works explored themes of identity, culture, and the natural beauty of the Hawaiian Islands.

It is worth noting that while the name Makala has its roots in the Hawaiian language, it has gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in the United States, where it is often used as a modern and unique name choice.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Makala over time

The chart below shows babies named Makala registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2004. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Makala, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2004, compared with 5 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Makala
01345199620002004

Decades

Makala by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Makala 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 #3230 9 2
1990s #3795 3 1

Geography

Where Makala is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Makala. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Makala ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2005.

Scotland
3

Across the UK

Makala in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#687 in 2005

1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered

Related

Names similar to Makala

FAQ

Makala: questions and answers

How popular is the name Makala in the UK right now?

In 2004, Makala was ranked #3197 for girls in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.

When was Makala most popular?

The peak year on record was 2004, with 5 babies registered as Makala in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Makala?

Name of Hawaiian origin meaning "fragrant, perfumed flower".

How many people are called Makala in the UK?

A total of 12 babies have been registered as Makala across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.

Where is Makala most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Makala ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #687 in 2005. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.