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Home › Baby Names Directory › Makeba

Makeba

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Makeba

Pronounced muh-KAY-buh /məˈkeɪ.bə/Medium

Meaning: Makeba as a given name honors the South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba, known worldwide as 'Mama Africa'. It is drawn from her Xhosa surname rather than a standard first name; American parents adopted it in tribute during the era of her fame. The literal meaning of the surname is not firmly documented, so we present it honestly as an honoree name.Low

In 30 seconds: Makeba honors the South African singer Miriam Makeba, 'Mama Africa' (said 'muh-KAY-buh'), adopted as a first name in tribute.
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Origin MediumAfrican, Xhosa
MeaningMakeba as a given name honors the South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba, known worldwide as 'Mama Africa'. It is drawn from her Xhosa surname rather than a standard first name; American parents adopted it in tribute during the era of her fame. The literal meaning of the surname is not firmly documented, so we present it honestly as an honoree name.
U.S. rank (2003)#17361 ↘ Falling
2003 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1972
Total births (all-time)≈ 702

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197219622003

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

Makeba entered American use as a tribute to Miriam Makeba, the celebrated South African singer and activist called 'Mama Africa'. It is her Xhosa surname, taken up as a first name by parents inspired by her music and her stand against apartheid. Recorded from around 1962, it crested about 1972 at just over sixty girls a year — closely tracking her years of international fame.

Makeba has stayed uncommon and faded after the early two-thousands. Three warm beats with a rising middle, it reads as a meaningful heritage-and-tribute name; parents drawn to it should know it honors a real and revered figure.

Did you know? Makeba comes from the surname of Miriam Makeba, the Grammy-winning South African singer and anti-apartheid activist whose fame carried the name to American families.
Overall data confidence 55%
References — Miriam Makeba — South African singer; honoree name

Variations

MakeebaMakebba

Nicknames

KebaKaya

Famous Bearers

  • ★Miriam Makeba (1932–2008)
    South African singer and civil-rights activist, known as 'Mama Africa'.

If you like Makeba…

Nakia— a like African-inspired name of the same era
Zuleika— shares the exotic, honoree-name feel
Amara— a same-rhythm African-rooted girls' name
Aisha— another name adopted in the era's heritage naming

Explore names like Makeba

By themeheritagehonorafricantribute

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Makeba mean?

Makeba honors the South African singer Miriam Makeba; it is drawn from her Xhosa surname and taken up as a tribute first name.

How do you pronounce Makeba?

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

Is Makeba a boy or girl name?

Makeba is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Makeba?

Makeba was an uncommon tribute name that crested in the early nineteen-seventies and has been rare since.

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