Fun Facts About the Name Makoto
- 552 babies named Makoto: U.S. records list 552 babies given the name Makoto from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Makoto Mean?
Makoto is a Japanese name meaning 'truth' or 'sincerity.' It comes from the Japanese word makoto, written 誠 in its most familiar kanji form. The word is native Japanese, not a borrowing from Chinese, though the character 誠 is Chinese in origin.
The native word is usually analyzed as a compound of ma (真), 'true' or 'real,' plus koto. That second element is sometimes understood as 事, 'thing' or 'matter,' giving the sense 'true thing,' 'reality,' or 'truth.' Another explanation takes it as 言, 'word,' yielding 'true word' or 'sincere speech.' The exact original nuance is uncertain, but the core meaning is truthfulness or sincerity.
As a given name, Makoto can be written with several kanji, including 誠 (sincerity), 真 (truth, reality), 実 (truth, fruit), 信 (trust, faith), and 允 (sincerity). These are different character choices for the same spoken name, not separate names with unrelated origins. The customary English rendering 'sincerity' reflects the kanji 誠 and the word's ethical sense; the more literal sense is 'truth' or 'reality.'
Makoto Name History & Origins
The word makoto is old in Japanese. In classical Japanese it carried the senses 'truth,' 'reality,' and 'sincerity,' and it could also work as an adverb meaning 'truly' or 'indeed.' It appears in Heian-period literature and later writing, where it often refers to genuine feeling or honest intent rather than to factual accuracy alone.
Makoto as a given name grew out of this ordinary word. Japanese personal names are often formed from native words or from the kun reading of a kanji, and Makoto follows that pattern: the character 誠 is read makoto in Japanese. The name did not come from a single literary work or founder; it developed from the common word and its use as a name over time. It is found in Japan and in Japanese communities abroad.
Makoto is given to both men and women, though it is often treated as a masculine name. It also appears in modern fiction, such as Makoto Kino in Sailor Moon; that is a recent literary use, not the name's origin.
How Popular is the Name Makoto?
Makoto 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 1922. Its best rank was #2,002 in 1922.
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 | #7,490 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #9,511 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #7,135 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2022 | #8,727 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #13,351 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #8,483 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #9,419 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #5,946 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #7,369 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #8,566 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #6,179 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #5,623 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2013 | #13,335 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #10,374 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #8,521 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #6,587 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2009 | #6,675 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #8,070 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #8,655 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #7,798 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #6,925 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #9,575 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2003 | #12,055 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #11,803 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #6,285 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #7,596 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #8,851 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #7,665 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #5,758 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #4,445 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #7,128 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #5,349 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #5,242 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1988 | #6,196 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #7,694 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #7,411 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #5,527 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #5,945 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #4,120 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1981 | #4,375 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #4,021 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1979 | #6,674 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,406 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1975 | #5,980 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #5,696 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #4,865 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #5,465 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1960 | #4,390 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1934 | #4,002 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #3,847 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #2,341 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1927 | #3,338 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1926 | #3,051 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1925 | #2,536 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1924 | #2,766 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1923 | #2,085 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1922 | #2,002 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1921 | #3,393 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1920 | #3,696 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1919 | #4,006 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #2,641 | 11 | 0.0011% |
| 1916 | #2,851 | 9 | 0.0010% |
| 1915 | #4,172 | 5 | 0.0006% |
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 Makoto 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.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Makoto's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Makoto's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.