Puka Nacua's Real Name: Makea Nacua

Quick answer: Puka Nacua's real name is Makea Nacua. He was born on May 29, 2001, in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Puka" is a Samoan childhood nickname that stuck; he is billed as Puka Nacua as a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams (Sporting News; ESPN).

Real name and early life

Sporting News, citing a 2019 interview with Hawaii Prep World, says he was born Makea Nacua on May 29, 2001, in Las Vegas. A Library of Congress CIP galley gives the same date and place, listing him as Puka "Makea" Nacua. ESPN also lists the May 29, 2001, birth date.

Nacua has said that "Puka," in Samoan, "means fat and chubby." The nickname came from when he was a baby and remained in use as he grew up. "Going up through school, everybody knows me as Puka even though I slimmed out," he told Hawaii Prep World. The name reflects his Samoan heritage and is the form used on the field and in team materials. He later played college football at Brigham Young University, the school listed in his ESPN player profile, before entering the draft. NFL.com lists his hometown as Provo, Utah, which should not be confused with his Las Vegas birthplace.

Career highlights

The Rams selected him in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 177th overall, according to ESPN. Sporting News later described him as a "diamond in the rough" who quickly exceeded expectations for a fifth-round pick and became one of the team's featured wide receivers.

In 2024, Sporting News reported, he missed six games but still finished with 79 catches for 990 yards and added 46 rushing yards, topping 1,000 scrimmage yards. The same account noted the Rams' run to the divisional round of the 2024–25 playoffs as part of the setting for his early career. He wears No. 12 for Los Angeles and is listed as a wide receiver, the position he has played since arriving as a rookie in 2023. ESPN lists him at 6 feet 2 inches and 216 pounds. Library of Congress records also identify his NFL team as the Rams beginning in 2023.

Name notes for searchers

Makea Nacua is the documented given name; Puka Nacua is the professional name built on a childhood nickname. Library of Congress records file him under Nacua, Puka, 2001-. Searchers looking for Makea or Puka are usually aiming at the same Rams receiver. This page concerns the American football player, not a soccer player.