Kemi
Kẹ́mi is a common Nigerian given female name of Yorùbá origin which means "cherish me" or "pamper me".
Meaning & Origin of Kemi
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kẹ́mi is a common Nigerian given female name of Yorùbá origin which means "cherish me" or "pamper me".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kemi
Kemi first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1961, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 17 Kemis were born — ranking #6,703 that year. As of 2026, Kemi ranks #7,782 for baby girls with 13 births, rising sharply (+53% over the past five years). In total, more than 401 Kemis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kemi
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kemi 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 Kemi
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About the name Kemi
Kemi is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1961 and has accumulated 401 births in the dataset. Kemi's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #4,243. Use the chart and map above to compare Kemi's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- 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.