Makai is a distinctive boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #1538 in 2025 with 17 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2010 with 27 births ranking #1029. In 2025, approximately 1 in every 15,996 boys born was named Makai. FALLING Recent data shows the name is currently falling.
Makai is treated by Behind the Name as a modern variant of Mekhi. Through that route it belongs to the biblical name family associated with the idea of a gift from God.
The spelling is modern and the form itself is recent, but it is linked to an existing modern name rather than being wholly detached from earlier tradition. Its popularity has grown with other compact vowel-rich boys’ names.