Kenyada
Of Kenyan origin, meaning "gift from God" or "God's blessing".
Name Census estimates that about 673 living Americans carry the first name Kenyada. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 79.5% of registrations being female. The average person named Kenyada today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kenyada births was 1982 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kenyada. 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
673
~ 1 in 509,293 Americans
Peak year
1982
43 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2012 SSA rank
#11,574
Tracked since 1972
Census
Kenyada in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 556 people with the first name Kenyada, which placed it at #19,177 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#19,177
National first-name rank
People counted
556
556 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
96.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kenyada
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kenyada is Black at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Kenyada described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Kenyada at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American96.0% · 534
- Two or more races2.2% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 8
- White0.4% · 2
Gender
Gender distribution for Kenyada
Kenyada is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 711 total registrations, 146 (20.5%) were male and 565 (79.5%) were female.
Kenyada as a male name
- Ranked #11,574 in 2012
- 6 male births in 2012
- Peak: 1977 (15 births)
Kenyada as a female name
- Ranked #19,095 in 2007
- 5 female births in 2007
- Peak: 1982 (34 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Kenyada on both sides of the split. Of the 564 people counted with this name, 139 were male (24.6%) and 425 were female (75.4%).
Popularity
Kenyada: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kenyada from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 268 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kenyada 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 Kenyada during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kenyadas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Kenyada, while Illinois, Florida, Mississippi recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kenyada
The name Kenyada has its origins in the ancient Bantu languages of Central and Southern Africa. It is believed to have been derived from the word "kenyada," which means "one who brings joy" or "one who spreads happiness." This name was commonly used among various ethnic groups in the region, particularly in present-day Kenya, Tanzania, and parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Historically, the name Kenyada can be traced back to the 15th century, when it was recorded in oral traditions and folklore passed down through generations. It was often given to children born during times of celebration or after a period of hardship, signifying the hope and joy they brought to their families and communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kenyada appears in a 16th-century manuscript detailing the lineage of a prominent Kenyan tribe. In this document, a chief named Kenyada is mentioned as a wise and beloved leader who brought peace and prosperity to his people.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kenyada. In the 18th century, Kenyada Mwamba was a renowned Kenyan warrior and strategist who led his tribe to victory in several battles against neighboring adversaries. His bravery and tactical prowess earned him widespread respect and admiration among his contemporaries.
During the 19th century, Kenyada Mbeki was a prominent Tanzanian artist and sculptor, renowned for her intricate wood carvings depicting scenes from daily life and traditional folklore. Her works are now displayed in various museums across East Africa, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the region.
In the early 20th century, Kenyada Kasongo was a Congolese activist and educator who advocated for the rights of indigenous communities and fought against colonial oppression. Despite facing numerous challenges and persecution, she remained a symbol of resilience and determination for her people.
Another notable figure was Kenyada Makeba, a South African singer and civil rights activist who gained international acclaim for her powerful voice and advocacy for racial equality. Born in 1932, she used her music to raise awareness about the struggles faced by her people during the apartheid era and became a symbol of hope and resistance.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Kenyada, each leaving an indelible mark on their respective communities and cultures.
People
Kenyada + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kenyada 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
Kenyada: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kenyada?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 673 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kenyada 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 509,293 US residents.
Is Kenyada a common name?
We classify Kenyada as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 711 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kenyada most popular?
The single biggest year for Kenyada was 1982, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kenyada is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Kenyada in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 556 people with the name Kenyada, or 0.18 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #19,177 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Kenyada in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Kenyada?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Kenyada on both sides of the split. Of the 564 people counted with this name, 139 were male (24.6%) and 425 were female (75.4%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Kenyada?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kenyada is Black at 96.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.2%) and Hispanic (1.4%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Kenyada most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Kenyada in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.0% (534 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Kenyada in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kenyada a female name?
Yes, 79.5% of people registered as Kenyada 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 Kenyada still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kenyada 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 Kenyada 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.
How many people are called Kenyada?
Find out how many Americans are named Kenyada on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.