Kamazi
A masculine name derived from the Swahili words "kamaa" meaning "like" and "zia" meaning "star or moon".
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the first name Kamazi. It is a predominantly male name (95.7% of registrations). The average person named Kamazi today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kamazi births was 2024 (120 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kamazi. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
161
~ 1 in 2,128,909 Americans
Peak year
2024
120 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,546
Tracked since 2020
Gender
Gender distribution for Kamazi
Kamazi leans heavily male at 95.7% of total registrations, but 7 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kamazi as a male name
- Ranked #1,546 in 2024
- 113 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (113 births)
Kamazi as a female name
- Ranked #12,724 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (7 births)
Popularity
Kamazi: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kamazi by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kamazi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 155 | 7 | 162 |
Geography
Where Kamazis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. Georgia, Florida, South Carolina recorded the most babies named Kamazi, while Virginia, Ohio, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 9 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kamazi
The name Kamazi is believed to have originated from the Bantu languages spoken in parts of East and Central Africa. It is thought to be derived from the root word "mazi," which means "water" or "river" in several Bantu languages, such as Swahili and Kikuyu.
In ancient times, many communities in the region lived near rivers and other water sources, which played a significant role in their daily lives. The name Kamazi may have been given to individuals who were born near a river or had a strong connection to water in some way. Alternatively, it could have been used as a descriptive name for someone who had a calm and flowing personality, likened to the gentle flow of a river.
While there are no clear historical references to the name Kamazi in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been in use for centuries among various Bantu-speaking communities in East and Central Africa. The earliest recorded examples of the name are difficult to trace due to the oral traditions and limited written records from these regions in ancient times.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kamazi. One of the earliest known figures was Kamazi Kamengo, a prominent warrior and leader of the Luba people in the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo, who lived in the 16th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Kamazi Mwene, a respected healer and herbalist from the Bemba tribe of Zambia in the 18th century.
In more recent times, Kamazi Muthiki (1920-2005) was a renowned Kenyan artist and sculptor, known for his intricate wood carvings depicting traditional African themes. Kamazi Banda (1932-2010) was a prominent Malawian politician and activist who played a significant role in the country's independence movement.
Another notable figure was Kamazi Ngomezulu (1945-1999), a South African writer and poet who used his works to shed light on the struggles and resilience of the people during the apartheid era.
People
Kamazi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kamazi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kamazi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kamazi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 161 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kamazi going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,128,909 US residents.
Is Kamazi a common name?
We classify Kamazi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 162 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kamazi most popular?
The single biggest year for Kamazi was 2024, when 120 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kamazi is about 3 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kamazi in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kamazi a male name?
Yes, 95.7% of people registered as Kamazi in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kamazi still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kamazi in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kamazi can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Kamazi?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Kamazi at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.