The baby name Makela is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced mə-KAY-lə,mah-KAY-lah.
The baby name Makela is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced mə-KAY-lə,mah-KAY-lah.
Makela is English, Finnish in Origin.
Makela is a modern given name with two plausible sources. In Finnish, Makela is the Anglicized form of the surname Mäkelä, built from mäki “hill” + the locative suffix -lä, meaning “homestead at the hill” or “hill farm.” As a given name in English-speaking countries, Makela is also a fresh respelling of Michaela/Mikaela/Makayla, the feminine form of Michael, carrying the Hebrew meaning “who is like God?”
Used primarily in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Makela appears across the U.S., Canada, and other Anglophone regions, sometimes chosen to honor Finnish heritage and sometimes as a distinctive twist on the Michaela family. Variants and cognates include Mäkelä (surname), Makayla, Mikayla, Mikaela, Micaela, Michaela; masculine counterpart Michael/Mikael. Possible nicknames are Mak, Kae, Kay, and Ella. Common pronunciations are mah-KAY-lə and mah-KEH-lah.
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AO | 0 | #76 | 2 | 2,729 | |
| AO | Girls | 0 | #216 | 2 | 4,575 |
| AO | Boys | 0 | #248 | 2 | 5,568 |
| Canada | Girls | 2001 | #284 | 5 | 2,435 |
| CN | Girls | 0 | #359 | 1 | 8,829 |
| SD | Boys | 0 | #466 | 1 | 10,523 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #632 | 1 | 18,916 |
| United States | Girls | 2017 | #913 | 6 | 9,202 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #916 | 3 | 17,948 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #1,039 | 1 | 16,750 |
| MA | 0 | #1,199 | 1 | 20,986 | |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,272 | 1 | 25,619 |
Makela is popular in 10 countries — most recent births per country:
Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!