Kennyatta
Kenyan name derived from "Kienya Nyata", meaning one with firm determination.
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Kennyatta. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 66.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Kennyatta today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kennyatta births was 1975 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kennyatta. 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 Kennyatta. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1975
5 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
1975 SSA rank
#5,921
Tracked since 1975
Gender
Gender distribution for Kennyatta
Kennyatta is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 15 total registrations, 5 (33.3%) were male and 10 (66.7%) were female.
Kennyatta as a male name
- Ranked #5,921 in 1975
- 5 male births in 1975
- Peak: 1975 (5 births)
Kennyatta as a female name
- Ranked #14,582 in 1993
- 5 female births in 1993
- Peak: 1982 (5 births)
Popularity
Kennyatta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kennyatta from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 5 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kennyatta 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 Kennyatta 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 Kennyatta
The name Kennyatta is believed to have its origins in the Kikuyu language spoken by the Kikuyu people of Kenya. It is derived from the root word "nyatta," which means "wanderer" or "traveler." The name gained prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries during the colonial era in East Africa.
Kennyatta has a strong connection to the anti-colonial struggle and the fight for Kenyan independence. One of the most renowned figures associated with this name is Jomo Kenyatta (c. 1891-1978), a Kenyan statesman who led the country to independence from British rule in 1963 and served as the first Prime Minister and later President of independent Kenya.
Another notable figure with the name Kennyatta is Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972), a Ghanaian revolutionary who played a pivotal role in the struggle for Ghana's independence from British colonial rule. Although not directly related to the Kikuyu origin, Nkrumah adopted the name Kwame Nkrumah in honor of Jomo Kenyatta, reflecting the pan-African solidarity of the time.
In contemporary times, the name Kennyatta has been used by several prominent individuals, including Kennyatta Yahweh (born 1967), an American artist and activist known for his work in addressing social and political issues through his art. Additionally, Kennyatta Bell (born 1985) is an American professional basketball player who has played in various leagues around the world.
While the name Kennyatta is deeply rooted in the history of the anti-colonial struggle and African independence movements, it has also transcended its origins and gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in the African diaspora. The name carries a sense of resilience, pride, and determination, reflecting the spirit of those who fought for freedom and self-determination.
People
Kennyatta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kennyatta 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
Kennyatta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kennyatta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kennyatta 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 Kennyatta a common name?
We classify Kennyatta 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, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kennyatta most popular?
The single biggest year for Kennyatta was 1975, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kennyatta is about 43 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 Kennyatta in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kennyatta a female name?
Yes, 66.7% of people registered as Kennyatta 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.
Is Kennyatta still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kennyatta 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 Kennyatta 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 have the name Kennyatta?
Want to know how many people have the name Kennyatta? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.