Kenyata
Of Kiswahili origin, meaning "born during harvest".
Name Census estimates that about 1,063 living Americans carry the first name Kenyata. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 72.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Kenyata today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kenyata births was 1976 (64 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kenyata. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 322,441 Americans
Peak year
1976
64 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2019 SSA rank
#13,176
Tracked since 1971
Gender
Gender distribution for Kenyata
Kenyata is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,126 total registrations, 306 (27.2%) were male and 820 (72.8%) were female.
Kenyata as a male name
- Ranked #13,176 in 2019
- 5 male births in 2019
- Peak: 1976 (26 births)
Kenyata as a female name
- Ranked #17,870 in 2005
- 5 female births in 2005
- Peak: 1985 (44 births)
Popularity
Kenyata: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kenyata 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 443 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
Kenyata 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 Kenyata during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kenyatas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Illinois, Georgia, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Kenyata, while North Carolina, Ohio, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kenyata
The name Kenyata is believed to have originated from the Kenyan language of Kikuyu, which is spoken primarily in the central regions of Kenya. The name is thought to be derived from the Kikuyu word "kenyatta," which means "burning spear" or "bright light." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were seen as brave warriors or leaders within their communities.
One of the earliest and most famous individuals to bear the name Kenyata was Jomo Kenyatta (1891-1978), a Kenyan anti-colonial activist and politician who served as the first Prime Minister and President of independent Kenya. Kenyatta played a pivotal role in leading Kenya's struggle for independence from British colonial rule and is widely regarded as the founding father of the Kenyan nation.
Another notable figure named Kenyata was Mbiyu Koinange (1907-1981), a Kenyan politician and close associate of Jomo Kenyatta. Koinange served as a member of the Kenyan Legislative Council and was instrumental in the Kenyan independence movement, working alongside Kenyatta to advocate for self-governance.
In the realm of literature, Kenyata is the name of a character in the novel "The River Between" by Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong'o, published in 1965. The character Kenyata is depicted as a wise and respected elder within his community, reflecting the cultural significance of the name.
Historically, the name Kenyata has also been associated with the Kikuyu people's resistance against British colonial rule in Kenya during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Kikuyu people, from whom the name originates, played a crucial role in the Mau Mau uprising, a violent rebellion against British colonial authorities in the 1950s.
In the field of athletics, Kenyata Griffin (born 1981) is a former American professional basketball player who played in the NBA and various international leagues. Although not of Kenyan descent, his name reflects the global recognition and influence of the name Kenyata.
Overall, the name Kenyata carries a rich historical and cultural significance, deeply rooted in the Kenyan struggle for independence and the traditions of the Kikuyu people. It has been borne by influential figures in the political and literary spheres, as well as individuals across various walks of life, solidifying its place in the annals of notable names.
People
Kenyata + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kenyata 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
Kenyata: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kenyata?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,063 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kenyata 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 322,441 US residents.
Is Kenyata a common name?
We classify Kenyata as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,126 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kenyata most popular?
The single biggest year for Kenyata was 1976, when 64 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kenyata is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kenyata a female name?
Yes, 72.8% of people registered as Kenyata 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.