Fun Facts About the Name Mako
- 352 babies named Mako: U.S. records list 352 babies given the name Mako from 1880 through 2025. Even 71 girls received the name Mako - about 1 girl for every 4 boys.
What Does the Name Mako Mean?
Mako is a Japanese feminine given name meaning "true child." It is usually written 真子, from 真 (ma, "true, genuine") and 子 (ko, "child"). The 子 ending was long standard in Japanese girls' names, so Mako belongs to a large family of names built the same way. Since Japanese names can be written with different characters for the same sounds, other spellings of Mako exist and carry different literal senses; "true child" reflects the common spelling 真子.
A separate source of the name is the Māori word mako, which means "shark" and can also refer to a shark tooth. The English name for the mako shark comes from Māori, and the word is sometimes used as a given name in English-speaking countries with that association.
In Georgian, Mako (მაკო) is a familiar form of the name Mariam.
Mako Name History & Origins
Japanese girls' names ending in 子 (ko) go back to the Heian period, when they were used among the aristocracy, and they became very widespread in the 20th century before declining in recent decades. Mako is one of many names formed on that pattern; Princess Mako of Akishino, born in 1991, the eldest daughter of Prince Akishino, bears the spelling 真子.
The Māori word mako entered English through the common name of the mako shark, an open-ocean shark of the South Pacific, and in Māori it also names the shark tooth used in ornaments and cutting tools. In English-language use the name Mako is best known from the Japanese-American actor Mako Iwamatsu (1933 - 2006), born Makoto Iwamatsu, who used it as a shortened professional name and was nominated for an Academy Award for The Sand Pebbles.
How Popular is the Name Mako?
Mako has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #3,064 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,288 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #11,717 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #16,696 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #14,655 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #12,462 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #15,691 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #18,215 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #18,800 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #19,106 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #16,711 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #16,362 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #14,911 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,064 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 2024 | #4,970 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #4,076 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 2022 | #3,950 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2021 | #4,325 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2020 | #4,502 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2019 | #4,291 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2018 | #7,947 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #6,540 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #6,223 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #6,567 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #10,324 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #6,873 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2012 | #10,373 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #13,594 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #13,738 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #13,830 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1977 | #6,456 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Mako Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Mako's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mako's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.