Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Makala

Makala

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Makala

Pronounced muh-KAY-luh /məˈkeɪ.lə/Medium

Meaning: Makala is a streamlined spelling of Makayla, a form of Michaela, the feminine of Michael. Michael is Hebrew Mikha'el, the rhetorical 'who is like God?' Makala carries that meaning; a separate Hawaiian word makala ('myrtle; to loosen') exists but is not the usual American source.Low

In 30 seconds: Makala is a trimmed spelling of Makayla (said 'muh-KAY-luh'), a form of Michaela — the feminine of Michael, Hebrew for 'who is like God?'
💕 Browse more names
Made for Makala
Makala
Custom knit blankets, embroidered with her name.
See Makala blankets
Amazon affiliate link
mamaraya
Affiliate link
🍼
Essentials for baby
Baby care from Dr. Talbot’s
Bottles, diapering, bath and nasal care — 23 picks.
Dr. Talbot’s · affiliate link
Shop baby essentials
Origin LowHebrew
MeaningMakala is a streamlined spelling of Makayla, a form of Michaela, the feminine of Michael. Michael is Hebrew Mikha'el, the rhetorical 'who is like God?' Makala carries that meaning; a separate Hawaiian word makala ('myrtle; to loosen') exists but is not the usual American source.
U.S. rank (2022)#16802 ↘ Falling
2022 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1998
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,398
🌸
Essentials for mom
What she’ll actually want in week one
Peri-bottle, nursing pads, postpartum ice packs — 29 picks from Dr. Talbot’s.
Dr. Talbot’s · affiliate link
Shop mom essentials

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199819712022

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Makala is a spare spelling of Makayla, part of the vast Michaela family from Michael ('who is like God?'). The whole Mc/Mak- cluster surged in the 1990s, and Makala is one of its simpler forms.

Makala crested in 1998, so a girl given it then is now in her twenties. It reads as a nineties spelling of a still-popular sound; parents today more often choose Makayla or Mikayla.

Did you know? Makala rode the enormous Makayla and Mikayla wave of the nineties, reaching its own high point in 1998 as the sound saturated American nurseries.
Overall data confidence 50%
References — Makala — Variant of Makayla/Michaela (Hebrew); 1998 peak

Variations

MakaylaMichaelaMikayla

Nicknames

KaylaMak

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Makala…

Makayla— the fuller spelling Makala trims
Michaela— the classic parent form of the name
Mikayla— a sister spelling in the same family
Kayla— the short form embedded in the name

Explore names like Makala

By themerespellingbiblical1990s

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Makala mean?

Makala is a variant of Makayla and Michaela, the feminine of Michael, Hebrew for 'who is like God?'

How do you pronounce Makala?

It's said muh-KAY-luh /məˈkeɪ.lə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Makala a boy or girl name?

Makala is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Makala?

Makala rose with the Makayla wave and peaked in the late nineties before easing back.

💬 Ask Nia