Kamau
Kamau is a male name of Kenyan origin that may refer to: It is primarily a masculine name in the Kikuyu, belonging to the Bantu group who migrated from the Congo region. The name was given to a group of young men who went through initiation together. The group was called Rika. The initiation process involved circumcision, training and mentoring to help transition from childhood to manhood.
- Kikuyu
Meaning & Origin of Kamau
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kamau is a male name of Kenyan origin that may refer to: It is primarily a masculine name in the Kikuyu, belonging to the Bantu group who migrated from the Congo region. The name was given to a group of young men who went through initiation together. The group was called Rika. The initiation process involved circumcision, training and mentoring to help transition from childhood to manhood.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Kikuyu
The Story of Kamau
American parents first put Kamau on the record books as a baby boy name in 1971, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1995, when 34 Kamaus were born — ranking #2,299 that year. About 26% of every Kamau on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kamau ranks #6,392 for baby boys with 13 births, holding steady (+2%). All told, over 947 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kamau
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kamau is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kamau
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About the name Kamau
Kamau is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 947 births in the dataset. Kamau's peak popularity came in 1995 when it ranked #1,696. Use the chart and map above to compare Kamau's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1995 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.