Keyion
Name of unknown origin, possibly a modern invented name.
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the first name Keyion. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Keyion today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keyion births was 2007 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keyion. 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
114
~ 1 in 3,006,617 Americans
Peak year
2007
11 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2018 SSA rank
#11,517
Tracked since 1995
Popularity
Keyion: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keyion from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 52 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
Keyion 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 Keyion 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 Keyion
The given name Keyion has its roots in the Igbo language, spoken primarily in southeastern Nigeria. The name is thought to have originated in the late 15th or early 16th century, during the height of the Kingdom of Nri, one of the oldest and most influential civilizations in the region.
Keyion is derived from the Igbo word "kedu" meaning "light" or "illumination," reflecting the cultural significance of light as a symbol of knowledge, wisdom, and divine guidance. The suffix "-ion" is believed to have been added later, possibly influenced by Greek or Latin naming conventions.
There are no known historical references to the name Keyion in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the late 17th century, when it appeared in various written records and genealogical documents from the Igbo-speaking regions of West Africa.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Keyion was Keyion Okonkwo, a renowned Igbo warrior and leader who lived in the late 17th century. He was celebrated for his bravery in defending his community against neighboring tribes and for his wisdom in resolving conflicts through diplomacy.
In the 19th century, Keyion Nnaji was a prominent Igbo trader and businessman who established a successful trading network across West Africa, contributing to the economic and cultural exchange between different regions.
During the 20th century, Keyion Achebe, born in 1912, was a renowned Igbo poet and writer who played a significant role in preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the Igbo people through his literary works.
Keyion Okafor, born in 1947, was a Nigerian politician and diplomat who served as the country's ambassador to several nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, during the late 20th century.
More recently, Keyion Nwankwo, born in 1985, is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player who has played for various teams in the NBA and internationally, becoming a prominent figure in the world of sports.
While the name Keyion has its origins in the Igbo culture of West Africa, it has gradually gained recognition and popularity across various parts of the world, particularly in regions with significant African diaspora communities.
People
Keyion + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keyion 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
Keyion: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keyion?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 114 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keyion 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 3,006,617 US residents.
Is Keyion a common name?
We classify Keyion as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 115 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keyion most popular?
The single biggest year for Keyion was 2007, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keyion is about 19 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 Keyion in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keyion a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keyion 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 Keyion still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keyion 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 Keyion 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 common is the name Keyion?
See how many Americans are named Keyion on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.