The baby name Makena is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced ma-KEH-na (Kikuyu); muh-KAY-nuh (English) — IPA: /maˈkɛna/ or /məˈkeɪnə/.
The baby name Makena is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced ma-KEH-na (Kikuyu); muh-KAY-nuh (English) — IPA: /maˈkɛna/ or /məˈkeɪnə/.
Makena is Gaelic, Hawaiian, Irish in Origin.
Makena carries distinct roots. In Gikuyu (Kikuyu) of Kenya, it derives from the verb kũkena, “to be glad, to smile,” yielding the sense “the happy one” or “one who brings joy.” The name is widely used in central Kenya and among the Kenyan diaspora, often bestowed to celebrate a child’s cheerful nature.
It also appears in Hawaiian as Mākena, a well-known place on Maui; as a given name in English it draws on this place-name’s sunlit, beachy associations. The Hawaiian etymology is uncertain and not uniformly glossed, so the Kenyan meaning is the most linguistically secure. In North America the name rose in the 1990s–2000s alongside the surname-derived McKenna/Mackenna and the broader trend for island and nature names. Common spellings and related forms include Makenna, McKenna, Mackenna, and MaKenna; short forms Kenna and Kena are used. Makena today reads fresh and upbeat yet culturally rooted.
| Name | Last Name(s) | Mother | Mother famous for | Fame Level | Father | Father famous for | Fame Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Makena | Lei Carnahan | Helen Hunt | film director | ★★★★★ | Matthew Carnahan | film director | ★★★★★ |
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BW | Girls | 0 | #149 | 3 | 4,216 |
| AO | Girls | 0 | #217 | 1 | 4,575 |
| NA | Girls | 0 | #229 | 9 | 7,146 |
| GH | 0 | #248 | 1 | 5,396 | |
| NA | Boys | 0 | #253 | 1 | 6,830 |
| MO | Girls | 0 | #263 | 1 | 7,056 |
| Canada | Girls | 2024 | #279 | 7 | 2,795 |
| TW | Girls | 0 | #289 | 1 | 8,139 |
| KZ | Girls | 0 | #332 | 1 | 5,862 |
| MU | Girls | 0 | #362 | 1 | 8,539 |
| BO | 0 | #408 | 1 | 6,868 | |
| OM | Girls | 0 | #423 | 2 | 15,987 |
| ZA | 0 | #473 | 2 | 14,421 | |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #525 | 2 | 12,621 |
| LY | 0 | #558 | 2 | 12,703 | |
| AR | Girls | 0 | #630 | 1 | 8,289 |
| BO | Girls | 0 | #651 | 1 | 9,488 |
| IN | Girls | 0 | #654 | 1 | 13,121 |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #739 | 1 | 17,960 |
| United States | Girls | 2024 | #822 | 95 | 8,487 |
| United States | Boys | 2010 | #855 | 5 | 7,345 |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #914 | 2 | 14,098 |
| BR | Girls | 0 | #991 | 2 | 12,708 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #1,001 | 1 | 16,906 |
| PE | Girls | 0 | #1,010 | 1 | 14,861 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #1,012 | 3 | 25,931 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,122 | 57 | 25,619 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,126 | 16 | 25,928 |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #1,262 | 6 | 17,781 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,691 | 1 | 28,008 |
Makena is popular in 24 countries — most recent births per country:
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