Kenya
Girl name · #2494 in 2025 · Very rare
In 2025, 71 baby girls were named Kenya, placing it at #2494 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #892, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 25,352 girls born in 2025 was named Kenya.
The 73-year story
Kenya first appears in the Social Security records in 1952, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1973, when 894 girls were named Kenya — good for #275 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Kenya per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kenya against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kenya in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kenya is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kenya will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kenya is most common
State-level data for Kenya is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Kenya
Statistically, parents drawn to Kenya tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Tanya, Keysha, Adria, Rana, and Suzanna.
TanyaKeyshaAdriaRanaSuzannaKeishaMirnaEricka
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kenya | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 71 | #2485 |
| 2024 | 124 | #1657 |
| 2023 | 135 | #1569 |
| 2022 | 166 | #1381 |
| 2021 | 162 | #1364 |
| 2020 | 190 | #1206 |
| 2019 | 228 | #1092 |
| 2018 | 242 | #1057 |
| 2017 | 275 | #964 |
| 2016 | 326 | #863 |
| 2015 | 309 | #892 |
| 2014 | 403 | #700 |
| 2013 | 469 | #602 |
| 2012 | 569 | #534 |
| 2011 | 337 | #802 |
| 2010 | 395 | #715 |
| 2009 | 478 | #629 |
| 2008 | 570 | #540 |
| 2007 | 587 | #534 |
| 2006 | 578 | #523 |
| 2005 | 466 | #610 |
| 2004 | 432 | #631 |
| 2003 | 475 | #581 |
| 2002 | 493 | #553 |
| 2001 | 466 | #559 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kenya a popular girl name?
Kenya ranked #2494 among girls in 2025 with 71 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #892.
When was the name Kenya most popular?
Kenya peaked in 1973, when 894 American girls received the name (ranked #275 that year). Since 1973 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kenya?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 25,352 newborn American girls was named Kenya. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.