Unisex name · Japanese
Makoto
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: sincerity, truth (depends on characters)Makoto is a gender-neutral name that comes from Japanese and means "sincerity, truth (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
- Meaning
- Sincerity, truth (depends on characters)
- Origin
- Japanese
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- mah-KOH-toh
Meaning and origin of Makoto
As a boy's name, Makoto comes from Japanese and means "sincerity, truth (depends on characters)". It is used in Japanese.
As a gender-neutral name, Makoto comes from Japanese and means "sincerity, truth". It is used in Japanese.
Say it mah-KOH-toh. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
How to write Makoto in Japanese
In hiragana, Makoto is まこと. In kanji it can be written several ways, and each choice gives the name its own meaning. These are spellings used for the name, with what each kanji means.
| Kanji | Reading | What the kanji mean |
|---|---|---|
| 誠 | まこと | 誠 sincerity |
| 真 | まこと | 真 true, reality |
| 信 | まこと | 信 faith, truth |
Kanji and readings from the JMnedict and KANJIDIC2 dictionaries (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0), checked by our editors.
Makoto on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Makoto on 3 lists.
“誠: sincerity. Mostly a boys' name in Japan, so it reads tomboyish”
From Anime girl names, strong and cool anime girl names
“Sincerity, truth; Japanese, often written 誠. Say mah-KOH-toh”
From Gender neutral names, unisex names from Asia and the Pacific
“Sincerity, truth; a classic virtue name.”
From Japanese boy names, names meaning wisdom, honesty and kindness
How popular is Makoto?
- US rank in 2025
- #7,490
- 11 babies, 6 per million boys
- Best rank
- #2,002 in 1922
- 17 babies that year
- Babies since 1915
- At least 553
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 5 per million |
| 1920s | 9 per million |
| 1930s | 1 per million |
| 1940s | 0 per million |
| 1950s | 0 per million |
| 1960s | 0 per million |
| 1970s | 2 per million |
| 1980s | 3 per million |
| 1990s | 4 per million |
| 2000s | 4 per million |
| 2010s | 6 per million |
| 2020s | 5 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #8,567 | #7,372 | #5,947 | #9,421 | #8,490 | #13,355 | #8,734 | #7,142 | #8,733 | #7,490 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Makoto
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MikotoBeautiful koto (Japanese, girl)
- MakaioGift of God (Hebrew, boy)
- MakoaFearless, courageous (Hawaiian, boy)
- MalomoDo not go again (Yoruba, unisex)
- ManoloPet form of Manuel (Spanish, boy)
- MasatoRighteous person (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- AmitaiMy truth (Hebrew, boy)
- ArdeshirReign through truth (Old Persian, boy)
- MariTruth (Japanese, girl)
- MarikoChild of truth (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- SatyaTruth (Sanskrit, unisex)
- ShinTruth; trust (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
- VerityTruth (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Makoto
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
- AoifeBeauty, radiance (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- FernLeafy woodland plant (Old English, girl)
- GemmaGem, precious stone (Latin, girl)
- HenryHome ruler (Germanic, boy)
- LeeClearing, meadow (Old English, unisex)
- LydiaWoman from Lydia (Greek, girl)
- RoseFragrant garden flower (Latin, girl)
- ScottFrom Scotland (English, boy)
More names from Japanese
- AiLove; indigo (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- KaiSea (Japanese, boy)
- AikoBeloved child (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AimiLove and beauty, written 愛美 (Japanese, girl)
- AkaneDeep red, madder (Japanese, girl)
- AkariLamplight (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- AkemiBright beauty (Japanese, girl)
- AkiSecond and hope, written 亜希 (Japanese, girl)
- AkihikoBright prince (depends on kanji) (Japanese, boy)
- AkihiroBright and wide (depends on characters) (Japanese, boy)
Makoto: common questions
What does the name Makoto mean?
Makoto comes from Japanese and means "sincerity, truth (depends on characters)". It also has another origin: "sincerity, truth" from Japanese.
Is Makoto a boy or girl name?
Makoto is used for both boys and girls.
Where does the name Makoto come from?
Makoto comes from Japanese and means "sincerity, truth (depends on characters)". Today it is used in Japanese.
How do you pronounce Makoto?
Say mah-KOH-toh. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How do you write Makoto in Japanese?
Makoto is written まこと in hiragana. Kanji spellings include 誠 (sincerity), 真 (true) and 信 (faith). The kanji parents choose decide what the name means.
How popular is the name Makoto?
Makoto ranked #7,490 in the US in 2025, with 11 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Makoto?
Names spelled like Makoto include Mikoto, Makaio, Makoa, Malomo and Manolo.
What middle names go with Makoto?
Middle names that flow well with Makoto include Aoife, Fern, Gemma, Henry and Lee. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.