Hawaiian · boy

Makai

A distinctive name with a calm, steady presence.

Rank 2024

#533

Trend

stable

Band

rare

Styles

classic

Meaning

Toward the sea

Makai is a rare boy name with Hawaiian roots. In 2024, 556 newborns in the U.S. were given the name — ranking it #533 nationally, and its popularity has held steady in recent years. Its style leans classic — tags you can match against your partner's picks in the combiner.

classic

About Hawaiian names

Hawaiian names flow from a language of just a handful of consonants and open vowels, which is why they sound like water — Leilani, Kai, Noelani. Traditionally a name was a serious gift, sometimes given by elders or received in dreams, and meanings lean on the natural world: sea, sky, flowers, heaven. Even short Hawaiian names tend to hold whole images.

Meaning and origin are editorial; U.S. popularity comes from Social Security Administration public files.

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