Fun Facts About the Name Makoa
- More than 1 thousand babies named Makoa: U.S. records list 1,486 babies given the name Makoa from 1880 through 2025. Even 7 girls received the name Makoa - about 1 girl for every 211 boys.
What Does the Name Makoa Mean?
Makoa is a Hawaiian name commonly glossed as "fearless" or "brave." Its core is the Hawaiian word koa, which means brave, bold, and fearless and also serves as a noun for a warrior. The same word names the koa tree (Acacia koa), a large hardwood native to the Hawaiian Islands, so in Hawaiian one form covers both the quality of bravery and the tree. The usual English meaning, "fearless," reflects the adjective sense rather than the plant.
The name is Hawaiian in origin and is used mainly in Hawaii and, more recently, in the continental United States. It is not related to the biblical or European names it may happen to resemble.
Makoa Name History & Origins
Hawaiian personal names are typically taken from ordinary words and short phrases rather than from a fixed set of inherited given names, so a name like Makoa rests on the vocabulary of the language. The element koa carries the warrior-and-bravery sense, and it also names the koa tree, whose hard wood was used in Hawaii for canoe hulls, tools, and surfboards.
That element is shared with other Polynesian languages: Māori toa and Tongan toa mean "warrior" or "brave," pointing to a common Polynesian ancestor. Hawaiian regularly keeps k where Māori and Tongan keep t, so Hawaiian koa is the expected Hawaiian form of that older word. The name Makoa is a Hawaiian development on this base, not a borrowing from Māori or Tongan.
In Hawaii, Makoa has been used as a given name and also as a family name. Its use outside Hawaii follows the broader American interest in Hawaiian names, where it is generally understood as a Hawaiian boys' name meaning "fearless."
How Popular is the Name Makoa?
Makoa 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 2024. Its best rank was #1,117 in 2024.
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 | #12,688 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,119 | 191 | 0.0112% |
| 2024 | #1,117 | 191 | 0.0111% |
| 2023 | #1,435 | 127 | 0.0074% |
| 2022 | #1,326 | 142 | 0.0081% |
| 2021 | #1,880 | 82 | 0.0047% |
| 2020 | #2,106 | 67 | 0.0039% |
| 2019 | #2,679 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2018 | #3,082 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2017 | #2,872 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2016 | #3,142 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 2015 | #3,061 | 38 | 0.0020% |
| 2014 | #3,432 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2013 | #3,923 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2012 | #3,596 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 2011 | #4,175 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2010 | #3,865 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #2,929 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2008 | #3,260 | 35 | 0.0017% |
| 2007 | #2,904 | 41 | 0.0020% |
| 2006 | #3,951 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 2005 | #3,781 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2004 | #4,530 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #4,550 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #3,521 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2001 | #4,060 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2000 | #5,219 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #4,265 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1998 | #5,074 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #6,422 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #6,315 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #7,492 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #8,399 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #9,617 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #6,466 | 8 | 0.0004% |
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 Makoa 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.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Makoa's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Makoa's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.