Makela Family History
Makela Name Meaning
Finnish (Mäkelä): habitational name from farms so named from mäki ‘hill’ (compare Maki ) + the locative suffix -lä. Established as a hereditary surname in western and southern Finland mainly since the 19th century. Also adopted as an ornamental name during the name-changing campaigns of the early 20th century.
Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022