Makenna is a modern American spelling of McKenna, which comes from the Irish surname Mac Cionaodha and means "son of Cionaodh", a name usually explained as "born of fire"; it is often linked as well to the Kikuyu name Makena, "happy one". The spelling without the Mc- makes it look like Kenna with a soft prefix. Makenna ranked number 277 in 2000, peaked at number 201 in 2010 and has slipped to number 593 in 2025.