Kentez
A masculine name of Arabic origin meaning "affluent" or "wealthy".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Kentez. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kentez today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kentez births was 1990 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kentez. 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 Kentez. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1990
6 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
1996 SSA rank
#9,821
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Kentez: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kentez 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 Kentez during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11 | 0 | 11 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kentez
The name Kentez finds its origins in the ancient Berber language spoken by the indigenous peoples of North Africa. It is believed to have emerged around the 5th century BCE, during the height of the Carthaginian civilization in present-day Tunisia and surrounding regions. The name is derived from the Berber word "kentez," which translates to "brave warrior" or "fearless one."
In the early centuries CE, the name Kentez appeared in various Punic inscriptions and records, indicating its use among the Berber communities that inhabited the region. Some scholars have also suggested that the name may have been adopted by certain Phoenician settlements along the Mediterranean coast, as the Phoenicians had close cultural and trade ties with the Berbers.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Kentez was a Berber chieftain who led a revolt against the Roman Empire in the 2nd century CE. While his full name is lost to history, he is mentioned in the writings of Roman historians for his fierce resistance against the imperial forces.
During the medieval period, the name Kentez gained prominence among the Berber dynasties that ruled over parts of North Africa and Spain. One notable figure was Kentez ibn Malik (1050-1123), a renowned warrior and military strategist who served under the Almoravid dynasty in modern-day Morocco and Andalusia.
In the 16th century, a Berber scholar and philosopher named Kentez al-Qaisi (1480-1548) gained recognition for his works on Islamic jurisprudence and theology. His writings were widely studied in the region and contributed to the intellectual discourse of the time.
Another significant figure bearing the name Kentez was a Berber leader from the 17th century who played a pivotal role in the resistance against Ottoman rule in Algeria. Known as Kentez ben Murad (1620-1688), he is celebrated as a national hero for his efforts in preserving Berber culture and autonomy during the turbulent period of Ottoman expansion.
While the name Kentez has its roots in the Berber culture, it has also been adopted by other communities over the centuries, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East. However, its usage remains relatively rare compared to more common Arabic or Berber names in modern times.
People
Kentez + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kentez 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
Kentez: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kentez?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kentez 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Kentez a common name?
We classify Kentez as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kentez most popular?
The single biggest year for Kentez was 1990, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kentez is about 32 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 Kentez in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kentez a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kentez 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 Kentez still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kentez 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 Kentez 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 Kentez?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Kentez on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.