Meaning & origin
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1977. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Mako through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 352
- 281 boys · 71 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 46 babies
- 2025
- 46
- #3,064 for boys · #14,288 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +80%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 40 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,064 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 67.5% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 6 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 524 as a first name in 2020; 636 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Mako’s family of names
In Japanese usage, Mako is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 眞子. In Japanese usage, Mako is a Roman-alphabet rendering of 真湖. In English usage, Mako as a surname was borrowed from the Hungarian form Makó.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: across languages.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Mako
- MakoJapanese-American actor (1933-2006)
- Mako KomuroJapanese princess; eldest child of Fumihito, Crown Prince of Japan, and Kiko, Crown Princess of Japanborn 1991
- Mako IshinoJapanese actress and singerborn 1961
- Mako Idemitsuexperimental video art and film artist (born 1940)
- Mako KojimaJapanese actressborn 1997
- Mako YamashitaJapanese figure skaterborn 2002
- Mako OdaJapanese AV idolborn 1983
- Mako MorinoJapanese seiyūborn 1987
- Mako KobataJapanese volleyball playerborn 1990
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Mako, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“a glorious ruler”
>99% boys
Aitor
Aitor is a masculine given name from Basque. It is used in Spanish and Basque.
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Varad
“from the fortress”
>99% boys
Reza
“one who is content”
98% boys · 2% girls
Mates
“scrub”
>99% boys
Kohen
Kohen is a masculine given name from Hebrew.
98% boys · 2% girls
Adorian
Adorian is a surname from Hungarian. It is used in Romanian.
>99% boys
Taha
“the firstborn child”
>99% boys