Kimari
A Japanese feminine name meaning "spread of beauty".
Name Census estimates that about 902 living Americans carry the first name Kimari. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 58.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Kimari today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kimari births was 2008 (66 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kimari. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kimari with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
902
~ 1 in 379,994 Americans
Peak year
2008
66 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,770
Tracked since 1979
Census
Kimari in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 630 people with the first name Kimari, which placed it at #17,487 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
#17,487
National first-name rank
People counted
630
630 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
78.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kimari
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kimari is Black at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Kimari 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 Kimari at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American78.3% · 493
- Two or more races7.9% · 50
- Hispanic or Latino6.8% · 43
- White5.1% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
Gender
Gender distribution for Kimari
Kimari is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 913 total registrations, 381 (41.7%) were male and 532 (58.3%) were female.
Kimari as a male name
- Ranked #5,770 in 2024
- 16 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2012 (23 births)
Kimari as a female name
- Ranked #9,887 in 2024
- 10 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2008 (46 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Kimari on both sides of the split. Of the 630 people counted with this name, 231 were male (36.7%) and 399 were female (63.3%).
Popularity
Kimari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kimari from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 340 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Kimari remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kimari 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 Kimari during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kimaris live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Georgia, Maryland, California recorded the most babies named Kimari, while California, Maryland, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kimari
The name Kimari finds its origins in the Swahili language, spoken primarily in East Africa. Its roots can be traced back to the Bantu people of the region, who have inhabited the area for centuries. The name is derived from the Swahili word "kimari," which means "strength" or "fortitude."
In ancient times, the name Kimari was often bestowed upon children with the hope that they would grow to embody the qualities of resilience and perseverance. It was believed that a name carried power and could shape an individual's character and destiny.
While there are no direct historical references to the name Kimari in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been a part of the oral traditions and cultural heritage of the Swahili people for generations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kimari dates back to the 16th century, when it was mentioned in a document detailing the genealogy of a prominent Swahili family. Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kimari.
In the 18th century, Kimari Mshindo was a revered Swahili poet and scholar whose works explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human experience. His contributions to the literary landscape of East Africa were significant, and his poems continue to be studied and celebrated to this day.
During the 19th century, Kimari Ngombe was a renowned warrior and leader among the Maasai people of Kenya and Tanzania. His bravery and strategic prowess in battle earned him great respect, and he is remembered as a symbol of strength and resilience in Maasai culture.
In the early 20th century, Kimari Mboya was a prominent Kenyan politician and activist who played a crucial role in the country's struggle for independence from British colonial rule. His unwavering commitment to justice and equality inspired generations of Kenyans to fight for their rights and freedoms.
More recently, Kimari Ghati was a celebrated Tanzanian artist and sculptor whose works captured the essence of African culture and traditions. Her intricate carvings and sculptures have been exhibited in galleries around the world, showcasing the rich artistic heritage of Tanzania.
Kimari Songolo, a contemporary Kenyan musician and songwriter, has gained international recognition for his fusion of traditional Swahili melodies with modern genres. His music celebrates the diversity and beauty of East African culture, resonating with audiences across the globe.
The name Kimari continues to be bestowed upon children in various parts of East Africa, carrying with it the hope of strength, resilience, and a connection to the cultural roots of the Swahili people.
People
Kimari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kimari 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
Kimari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kimari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 902 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kimari 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 379,994 US residents.
Is Kimari a common name?
We classify Kimari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 913 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kimari most popular?
The single biggest year for Kimari was 2008, when 66 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kimari is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Kimari in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 630 people with the name Kimari, or 0.21 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #17,487 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 Kimari 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 Kimari?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Kimari on both sides of the split. Of the 630 people counted with this name, 231 were male (36.7%) and 399 were female (63.3%). 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 Kimari?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kimari is Black at 78.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Hispanic (6.8%). 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 Kimari most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Kimari in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.3% (493 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 Kimari in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kimari a female name?
Yes, 58.3% of people registered as Kimari 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 Kimari still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kimari 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 Kimari 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 have Kimari as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Kimari, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.