Nairobi
Girl name · #1870 in 2025 · Uniqueness 83/100
Nairobi is currently the #1870 girl name in the United States — 106 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #8008, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 16,981 girls born in 2025 was named Nairobi.
The 42-year story
Nairobi first appears in the Social Security records in 1983, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2021, when 242 girls were named Nairobi — good for #1042 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Nairobi per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nairobi against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nairobi in class?
Nairobi scores 83 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Nairobi will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nairobi is most common
Geography matters for names, and Nairobi is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Nairobis were CA (13), FL (10), TX (10), GA (9), NC (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Nairobi
Statistically, parents drawn to Nairobi tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kobi, Normani, Legaci, Nylani, and Khelani.
KobiNormaniLegaciNylaniKhelaniKaelaniAlessiAhlani
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nairobi | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 106 | #1867 |
| 2024 | 139 | #1536 |
| 2023 | 172 | #1319 |
| 2022 | 233 | #1077 |
| 2021 | 242 | #1042 |
| 2020 | 215 | #1120 |
| 2019 | 65 | #2651 |
| 2018 | 37 | #3918 |
| 2017 | 24 | #5338 |
| 2016 | 21 | #5985 |
| 2015 | 14 | #8008 |
| 2014 | 17 | #6987 |
| 2013 | 11 | #9612 |
| 2012 | 16 | #7456 |
| 2011 | 8 | #12153 |
| 2010 | 9 | #11246 |
| 2009 | 19 | #6811 |
| 2008 | 9 | #11599 |
| 2007 | 19 | #6812 |
| 2006 | 12 | #9286 |
| 2005 | 18 | #6528 |
| 2004 | 12 | #8716 |
| 2003 | 9 | #10425 |
| 2002 | 9 | #10246 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9351 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Nairobi a popular girl name?
Nairobi ranked #1870 among girls in 2025 with 106 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #8008.
When was the name Nairobi most popular?
Nairobi peaked in 2021, when 242 American girls received the name (ranked #1042 that year). Since 2021 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nairobi?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 16,981 newborn American girls was named Nairobi. It scores 83/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "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.