Kimana
Of Swahili origin meaning "bright and beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 49 living Americans carry the first name Kimana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kimana today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kimana births was 2005 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kimana. 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 Kimana. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
49
~ 1 in 6,994,986 Americans
Peak year
2005
7 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,484
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Kimana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kimana from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 23 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Kimana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kimana 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 Kimana 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 Kimana
The name Kimana is believed to have originated from the Kikuyu language, spoken by the Kikuyu people of Kenya. It is a combination of two words, "ki" meaning "small" and "mana" meaning "wealth" or "fortune." Thus, the name Kimana can be interpreted as "small fortune" or "little treasure."
The earliest recorded use of the name Kimana dates back to the late 19th century in the central region of Kenya, where the Kikuyu people have traditionally lived. During this period, the Kikuyu culture placed great importance on naming traditions, often choosing names that reflected their values, beliefs, and hopes for their children.
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the name Kimana was Kimana wa Ngaruiya, a Kikuyu elder and community leader who lived in the late 19th century. He was highly respected for his wisdom and played a significant role in preserving Kikuyu traditions and customs.
Another historical figure with the name Kimana was Kimana wa Kihara, a Kikuyu woman born in the early 20th century. She was known for her skills as a traditional healer and midwife, and her knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional birthing practices was highly valued within her community.
In the realm of literature, Kimana Mugo is a notable Kenyan author and scholar. Born in 1942, she has written several novels and academic works that explore Kikuyu culture, history, and the challenges faced by women in contemporary Kenyan society.
Moving into more recent times, Kimana Maruge is a Kenyan entrepreneur and businesswoman born in the 1970s. She is the founder of a successful fashion and design company that celebrates African aesthetics and promotes sustainable practices.
Kimana Ndungu, born in the 1980s, is a Kenyan athlete who has competed in several international marathons and long-distance running events. She has represented her country at various competitions and is an inspiration to many young athletes in Kenya.
It is worth noting that while the name Kimana has its roots in the Kikuyu culture, it has gained popularity across Kenya and beyond, transcending cultural boundaries and becoming a name beloved by many.
People
Kimana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kimana 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
Kimana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kimana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 49 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kimana 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 6,994,986 US residents.
Is Kimana a common name?
We classify Kimana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 54% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 50 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kimana most popular?
The single biggest year for Kimana was 2005, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kimana is about 18 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 Kimana in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kimana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kimana 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 Kimana still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kimana 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 Kimana 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 Kimana as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people share the name Kimana, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.