Kemori
A feminine Japanese name derived from "kemushi" meaning "hairy caterpillar".
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Kemori. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 64.3% of registrations being male. The average person named Kemori today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kemori births was 2007 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kemori. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kemori. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
2007
9 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2007 SSA rank
#8,595
Tracked since 2007
Gender
Gender distribution for Kemori
Kemori is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 14 total registrations, 9 (64.3%) were male and 5 (35.7%) were female.
Kemori as a male name
- Ranked #8,595 in 2007
- 9 male births in 2007
- Peak: 2007 (9 births)
Kemori as a female name
- Ranked #18,460 in 2010
- 5 female births in 2010
- Peak: 2010 (5 births)
Popularity
Kemori: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kemori from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 9 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Kemori remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kemori 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 Kemori during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kemori
The name Kemori is thought to have its origins in the Japanese language, dating back to the Edo period of Japan's history, which spanned from the early 17th century to the mid-19th century. It is believed to be derived from the Japanese words "ke" meaning "hair" and "mori" meaning "forest," suggesting a possible connection to the natural world or a forested area.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Kemori can be found in the 18th century Japanese literary work "The Tales of Ise," a collection of poetic tales and anecdotes. In this work, Kemori is mentioned as the name of a character, though little is known about the specific individual.
Historically, the name Kemori has been relatively uncommon, with only a handful of notable figures bearing this name throughout the centuries. One such individual was Kemori Hisakichi, a Japanese painter and calligrapher who lived during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His works, featuring intricate brushwork and traditional Japanese themes, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
Another notable Kemori was Kemori Yuki, a Japanese poet and scholar who lived in the 17th century. Yuki is credited with contributing to the development of the haiku poetic form, and his works were widely studied and appreciated by his contemporaries.
In the realm of Japanese theater, Kemori Nobuyoshi was a renowned Kabuki actor who graced the stage in the early 19th century. His performances were celebrated for their emotional depth and mastery of traditional Kabuki techniques.
Moving into more modern times, Kemori Shizuko was a Japanese author and activist who lived in the early 20th century. She was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement in Japan and wrote several influential works advocating for gender equality and social reform.
It is worth noting that while the name Kemori has a rich history in Japan, it has remained relatively obscure outside of that cultural context. Its use in other parts of the world has been limited, though its unique sound and potential connection to nature may have appealed to some parents seeking a distinctive name for their child.
People
Kemori + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kemori 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
Kemori: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kemori?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kemori 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Kemori a common name?
We classify Kemori as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 14 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kemori most popular?
The single biggest year for Kemori was 2007, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kemori is about 18 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 Kemori in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kemori a male name?
Yes, 64.3% of people registered as Kemori 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 Kemori still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kemori 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 Kemori 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 people are called Kemori?
You can see how many people have the name Kemori on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.