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Home › Baby Names Directory › Makira

Makira

♀ Girl

Pronounced muh-KEER-uh /məˈkɪərə/Low

Meaning: Makira is a modern American name that joins the Ma- prefix to Kira, a name variously traced to a Russian feminine of Cyrus, 'lord,' or to a Japanese and Irish word for light. It also matches Makira, an island in the Solomons, though that link is likely coincidental. The route is uncertain.Low

In 30 seconds: Makira joins the Ma- prefix with Kira, a name tied to 'light' or 'lady.' It was never common and peaked in the two-thousands (said muh-KEER-uh). The route is uncertain.
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Origin LowAmerican
MeaningMakira is a modern American name that joins the Ma- prefix to Kira, a name variously traced to a Russian feminine of Cyrus, 'lord,' or to a Japanese and Irish word for light. It also matches Makira, an island in the Solomons, though that link is likely coincidental. The route is uncertain.
U.S. rank (2016)#15511 ↘ Falling
2016 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2009
Total births (all-time)≈ 193

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200919962016

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

Makira is a modern coinage built from Ma- and Kira, the latter linked to 'ray of light' or to a feminine of Cyrus, 'lord.' It appears in American records from the late twentieth century onward, its meaning depending on which reading of Kira a family has in mind.

It was always rare, given to only about sixteen girls a year even at its peak in the two-thousands. A girl named Makira then would be a teenager or young adult today.

Did you know? Makira shares the Solomon Islands' name for one of its provinces, but as a given name it more plausibly reads as a Ma- plus Kira blend in the contemporary American style.
Overall data confidence 30%
References - Makira — Coinage Ma- + Kira ('light'/'lady'); route uncertain

Variations

MakyraMakeiraMekira

Nicknames

KiraMak

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Makira…

Kira— the base name Makira builds on
Makayla— a like Ma- prefixed girl's name
Shakira— a similar -ira sounding name
Amira— a like flowing modern name

Explore names like Makira

By themeuncertainmodernrarecoinage

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Makira mean?

It joins Ma- with Kira, variously 'ray of light' or 'lady'; the route is uncertain.

How do you pronounce Makira?

It is said muh-KEER-uh /məˈkɪərə/, three syllables with the stress in the middle.

Is Makira a boy or girl name?

Makira is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Makira?

It was always rare in the United States, given to only about sixteen girls a year at its peak in the two-thousands.

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