UK boy's name
Makan
A masculine name of Persian origin meaning "place" or "location".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Makan is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Makan popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4789, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 5 births.
This profile covers 11 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2016 to 2022. 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 11 living people in the UK are called Makan. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Makan ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 5 boys were registered as Makan.
- • About 11 living people in the UK are estimated to have Makan as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4789
2022
Births in 2022
3
Latest year
Peak year
2016
5 births
Estimated living
11
2026
Meaning
What does Makan mean?
The name Makan has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, originating from the word "makana," which means "to dwell" or "to reside." It is believed to have first emerged during the early Islamic era, around the 7th century CE, when the Arabic language and culture spread across the Middle East and parts of North Africa.
In Arabic, the name Makan carries a sense of stability, permanence, and belonging. It evokes the idea of a person who is grounded, settled, and has a strong connection to their roots or homeland. Historically, names with this meaning were often given to individuals who were seen as pillars of their community or those who had a deep appreciation for their cultural heritage.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Makan can be found in the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. In Surah Al-Furqan (Chapter 25, Verse 24), the word "makan" is used to describe a place of dwelling or abode. This association with the sacred text has contributed to the name's enduring popularity among Arabic-speaking Muslims.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Makan. Among them is Makan ibn Kaki (died 983 CE), a renowned Persian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of trigonometry and the construction of astrolabes. Another Makan of note is Makan ibn Abi Thabit (753-825 CE), a distinguished Arab poet and grammarian who served as a tutor to the Abbasid caliphs.
In the realm of literature, Makan ibn Kali al-Qurashi (died 945 CE) was a celebrated Arab poet and literary critic who authored works on poetry and rhetoric. His contemporaries praised his eloquence and mastery of the Arabic language.
Moving forward in time, Makan ibn Muhammad (1444-1508 CE) was a prominent Mamluk historian and biographer from Egypt. His work, "Al-Jawahir al-Thaminah," is a valuable source of information on the lives of prominent Mamluk figures and the political landscape of that era.
Lastly, Makan Delrahim (born 1960) is a contemporary Iranian-American lawyer and former government official who served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the United States Department of Justice from 2017 to 2021.
While the name Makan has origins in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has transcended its original geographical boundaries and found its way into various communities and cultures around the world, each imbuing it with their own unique interpretations and significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Makan over time
The chart below shows babies named Makan registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2016 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Makan, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2022, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Makan by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Makan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4789 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4114 | 8 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Makan
- 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
Makan: questions and answers
How popular is the name Makan in the UK right now?
In 2022, Makan was ranked #4789 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Makan most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 5 babies registered as Makan in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Makan?
A masculine name of Persian origin meaning "place" or "location".
How many people are called Makan in the UK?
A total of 11 babies have been registered as Makan across the 3 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.