2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kenia
Surname derived from the placename Kenya.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Kenia. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kenia surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Kenia in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.0%. The next largest groups are White (43.3%) and Hispanic (9.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kenia
The surname "KENIA" is believed to have originated from Kenya, a country in East Africa. It is likely that the name was derived from the Kikuyu word "Kirinyaga," which means "mountain of whiteness" or "mountain of brightness," referring to Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa.
During the colonial period, when Kenya was under British rule, it was common for people to adopt or be given surnames based on geographic locations or landmarks. The name "KENIA" may have been given to individuals or families residing near Mount Kenya or in the surrounding region.
Records of the name "KENIA" can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when the British established control over the region. One of the earliest documented instances of the surname is found in the writings of a British explorer and missionary named John Walter Gregory, who visited the area in 1893 and wrote about his encounters with the Kikuyu people.
One notable person with the surname "KENIA" was Jomo Kenyatta (1889-1978), a Kenyan political leader and the first Prime Minister and President of independent Kenya. He played a crucial role in the country's struggle for independence from British colonial rule.
Another individual with this surname was Ngugi wa Thiong'o (born 1938), a renowned Kenyan writer, scholar, and activist. He is widely celebrated for his literary works that explore themes of colonialism, post-colonialism, and African identity.
In the realm of sports, Henry Kenia (born 1984) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who has won several international marathons and represented Kenya in various competitions.
Additionally, Wangari Maathai (1940-2011), a Kenyan environmental activist and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, was born with the surname "KENIA" before her marriage.
It is worth noting that the name "KENIA" may have variations in spelling, such as "KENYA" or "KENYAH," depending on the region or cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kenia
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.0%. The next largest groups are White (43.3%) and Hispanic (9.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Kenia bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kenia surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander45.0% · 54
- White43.3% · 52
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 11
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kenia
Kenia appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,089 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+12 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,483 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 21,089 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 9,483 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kenia surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #151,532 | #142,049 | 6.3% |
| Count | 108 | 120 | 11.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kenia bearers went from 108 to 120 (+11.1% change). The surname moved up 9,483 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #142,049.
FAQ
Kenia surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kenia?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Kenia. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Kenia?
Kenia ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Kenia. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Kenia.
Has Kenia become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kenia went from 108 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 12 (+11.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Kenia?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kenia, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 45.0%. The next largest groups are White (43.3%) and Hispanic (9.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kenia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.0% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kenia appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (45.0%), White (43.3%), Hispanic (9.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kenia (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kenia mean?
Surname derived from the placename Kenya. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kenia (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Kenia?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.