What Name to Give Your Makefile chapter of GNU Make manual clarifies it:
By default, when
makelooks for the makefile, it tries the following names, in order:GNUmakefile,makefileandMakefile. Normally you should call your makefile eithermakefileorMakefile. (We recommendMakefilebecause it appears prominently near the beginning of a directory listing, right near other important files such asREADME.) The first name checked,GNUmakefile, is not recommended for most makefiles. You should use this name if you have a makefile that is specific to GNUmake, and will not be understood by other versions of make. Other make programs look formakefileandMakefile, but notGNUmakefile.