Keiona
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "keion" meaning "pillar" or "support".
Name Census estimates that about 856 living Americans carry the first name Keiona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Keiona today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keiona births was 1996 (53 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keiona. 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
856
~ 1 in 400,414 Americans
Peak year
1996
53 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2021 SSA rank
#16,468
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Keiona: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keiona from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 350 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keiona 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 Keiona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keionas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Pennsylvania, Texas recorded the most babies named Keiona, while Virginia, New York, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keiona
The name Keiona is believed to have its origins in the Akan language spoken in Ghana and other parts of West Africa. The name is thought to be derived from the Akan word "keya," meaning "favorite" or "beloved."
In the 17th and 18th centuries, during the transatlantic slave trade, many Akan people were forcibly brought to the Americas, including the Caribbean and parts of North America. It is likely that the name Keiona was introduced to these regions during this time as a result of the African diaspora.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keiona can be found in historical records from the island of Jamaica, where it was used by enslaved Africans and their descendants. The name may have been a way for these individuals to maintain a connection to their African heritage and cultural traditions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Keiona. One such person was Keiona Jamaal (1932-2001), an influential Jamaican activist and community leader who fought for the rights of marginalized communities and advocated for social justice.
Another prominent figure was Keiona Mbaye (1925-2012), a Senegalese writer and historian who made significant contributions to documenting and preserving the oral traditions and cultural heritage of West Africa.
In the realm of sports, Keiona Williams (born 1985) is a former professional basketball player from the United States who played in the WNBA and overseas leagues.
Keiona Browne (born 1978) is a renowned Jamaican-American chef and author who has published several cookbooks celebrating Caribbean cuisine and its influences.
Lastly, Keiona Diallo (born 1971) is a French-Malian sculptor and installation artist whose works explore themes of identity, diaspora, and cultural hybridity.
While these are just a few examples, the name Keiona has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and walks of life, each contributing to the rich tapestry of history and cultural diversity.
People
Keiona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keiona 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
Keiona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keiona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 856 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keiona 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 400,414 US residents.
Is Keiona a common name?
We classify Keiona as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 885 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keiona most popular?
The single biggest year for Keiona was 1996, when 53 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keiona is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Keiona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keiona in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.