Kea
The kea is a species of large parrot in the family Strigopidae that is endemic to the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48 cm (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green, with brilliant orange under its wings, and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak.
Meaning & Origin of Kea
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The kea is a species of large parrot in the family Strigopidae that is endemic to the forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About 48 cm (19 in) long, it is mostly olive-green, with brilliant orange under its wings, and has a large, narrow, curved, grey-brown upper beak.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kea
The earliest SSA record of Kea as a baby girl name dates back to 1964, when 9 babies received it. 1978 was its biggest year on record, with 28 newborns named Kea — #2,859 in the national rankings. About 28% of every Kea on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Kea last appeared in the published SSA data in 2022, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 653 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kea
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kea 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 Kea
What does the name Kea mean?
How popular is Kea in 2026?
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About the name Kea
Kea is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1964 and has accumulated 653 births in the dataset. Kea's peak popularity came in 1978 when it ranked #2,859. Use the chart and map above to compare Kea's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1978 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl 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.