Mako
Meaning
meaning kanji-dependent, often glossed 'true, sincere child'; famously borne by former Princess Mako of Akishino, who relinquished her title in 2021
The story
In Japanese, Mako takes its meaning from the kanji a family chooses, and is often glossed as a true, sincere child. The world came to know it through former Princess Mako of Akishino, the emperor's niece, who set off a national debate by choosing love over rank: after a long engagement scrutinized by the press, she married her college sweetheart Kei Komuro, a commoner, in 2021, gave up her imperial title as the law required, declined the customary payment offered to departing princesses, and moved with him to New York to live as a private citizen. Whatever one makes of a fairy tale run in reverse, the name now carries that quiet firmness with it. In US records Mako remains genuinely rare, with only a whisper of recent use, an uncommon choice with a very modern story attached.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Mako has stayed rare in US records the whole time: no peak decade to name.
When you meet Mako
Most people given the name Mako in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Mako deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Mako truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Mako fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Does Mako fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Mako to your family’s tree →