Makanaka
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- mah-kah-NAH-kah
Makanaka is a girls' name, meaning “you are beautiful”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Makanaka mean?
Shona, from kunaka 'to be beautiful'
“you are beautiful”
A Shona name from Zimbabwe, formed on kunaka, 'to be beautiful or good'.
Is Makanaka a girl's or a boy's name?
Makanaka is a girls' name.
How popular is Makanaka in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2006, with 7 girls.
Makanaka in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | #5,966 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 0 | – |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 0 | – |
| 2018 | 1 | #7,536 |
| 2017 | 0 | – |
| 2016 | 5 | #4,290 |
| 2015 | 3 | #5,983 |
| 2014 | 6 | #3,702 |
| 2013 | 0 | – |
| 2012 | 5 | #4,390 |
| 2011 | 6 | #3,737 |
| 2010 | 0 | – |
| 2009 | 3 | #5,801 |
| 2008 | 6 | #3,589 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 7 | #2,940 |
| 2005 | 1 | #6,340 |
Names like Makanaka
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Layla, Aisha, Isabella, Matilda, Prisha, Noa, Martha, Anaya, Amina, Amelia, Gabriella, Dakota
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Makanaka: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/makanaka, updated 20 October 2026.