NameRealm
Kenya

Kenya: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“from the name of Kenya”
Origin
African
Say it
KEN-yuh · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls (92% of all uses)

Used as a given name from the East African place name. The country's name is generally linked to Mount Kenya, but the deeper etymology is uncertain and interpreted in several local languages. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.

African namesEnglish namesAmerican namesModern namesInternational names

How popular is Kenya?

202439.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Kenya in 2024131

2024 rank#1,662 girls

Peak year1973

Total US babies since 188027,481

Kenya is fading: recent use is about 39% of its level ten years before.

Names like Kenya

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Nalasuccessful; beloved · African
  • Makenahappy one · African
  • Kiaseason's beginnings · African

Kenya questions

What does the name Kenya mean?

Kenya means "from the name of Kenya". It comes from African. Used as a given name from the East African place name. The country's name is generally linked to Mount Kenya, but the deeper etymology is uncertain and interpreted in several local languages.

Is Kenya a boy or girl name?

Kenya is mainly a girl's name in US records (92% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Kenya?

131 US babies were named Kenya in 2024. Its peak year was 1973.

How do you pronounce Kenya?

Kenya is usually pronounced KEN-yuh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.