Makayla

Meaning and origin

Makayla means “Who is like God?” It is a modern English spelling of Michaela, the feminine form of Michael. The family comes from Hebrew Mikhael, built from mi, meaning “who,” ke, meaning “like,” and el, meaning “God.”

The meaning takes the form of a rhetorical question, expressing the idea that no one is like God. Makayla carries that older meaning through a spelling shaped around its familiar English pronunciation.

Michael has a long religious history. In the Book of Daniel, Michael appears as a protector of Israel, and in Revelation he leads heaven’s armies. The name became established across Christian Europe, producing feminine forms such as Michaela and, much later, English spelling variants including Makayla.

Pronunciation and related names

Makayla is pronounced muh-KAY-luh, with three syllables and the stress in the middle. The ay makes the long vowel especially clear to English readers, distinguishing its written form from Michaela while keeping the same usual English sound.

Mikayla, Mikaela, Mckayla, Michayla, and Mikhaila are related spellings. Mica, Mickey, and Mikki are established familiar forms within this family. Other language traditions use forms such as Spanish Micaela, Italian Michela, and Romanian Mihaela.

The wider family therefore combines an old Hebrew origin with many later ways of writing the name. Makayla belongs to the modern English branch, with a spelling that became especially familiar around the turn of the twenty-first century.

Makayla Epps and basketball

Basketball player Makayla Epps gives the name a contemporary sporting association. She played for the University of Kentucky from the 2013–14 season through 2016–17, becoming a leading scorer and playmaker for the Wildcats.

Her college career included a 42-point game against Mississippi State in February 2015. During her junior season, she recorded a triple-double against Morehead State with 21 points, twelve assists, and eleven rebounds. Those performances illustrate both her scoring and her ability to contribute in several parts of the game.

Epps finished her Kentucky career with 1,790 points and 408 assists. In her senior season, she averaged 17.7 points per game. Her career gives the spelling Makayla a recognizable place in college basketball alongside its wider use as a given name.

Popularity in the United States

Makayla’s strongest American year was 2008, when 5,957 girls received the name and it ranked number 37. Its largest wave of use came in the first decade of the twenty-first century.

It ranked number 143 in 2015, number 325 in 2020, and number 568 in 2025. Michaela, Mikayla, and other related spellings are counted separately.

How popular is Makayla?

In 2025, Makayla ranked #568 among girls in the United States, with 530 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1971; its largest annual count was 5,957 in 2008. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.