Boy · #755 in 2026

Kenai

Name: Popularity of the name Kenai in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Kenai, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Kenai is a city in the Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. By road, it is 158 miles southwest of Anchorage. The population was 7,424 as of the 2020 census, up from 7,100 in 2010, the seventh-most populated city in the state.

Current Rank

#755

Peak Rank

#755 (2026)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

+139%

2003

First Year

2024

Last Year

2003

Peak Year

#12408

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kenai

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history

Kenai in the 1940s The city of Kenai is named after the local Dena'ina word 'ken' or 'kena', which means 'flat, meadow, open area with few trees; base, low ridge', according to the Dena'ina Topical Dictionary by James Kari, Ph.D., published in 2007. This describes the area along the mouth and portion of the Kenai River near the City of Kenai. Archaeological evidence suggests that the area was first occupied by the Kachemak people from 1000 B.C., until they were displaced by the Dena'ina Athabaskan people around 1000 A.D. Before the arrival of the Russians, Kenai was a Dena'ina village called S

The Story of Kenai

Kenai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1992, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2026, when 346 Kenais were born — ranking #755 that year. As of 2026, Kenai ranks #755 for baby boys with 346 births, rising sharply (+139% over the past five years). In total, more than 3K Kenais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Notable people named Kenai

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

Philip H. Ross , U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, double Navy Cross recipient
Allie Ostrander , professional long distance runner, NCAA three-time champion

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Kenai

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kenai is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Keno
Kino
Kina
Keena
Keeno
Kini
Kena
Keeney
Kanai
Keaney
County
Canoe

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kenai

What does the name Kenai mean?

How popular is Kenai in 2026?

In 2026, Kenai ranks #755 among boys' names in the U.S., with 346 babies given the name that year.

When was Kenai most popular?

Kenai reached its peak popularity in 2026, ranking #755 that year with 346 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Kenai most popular?

Kenai has historically been most popular in Puerto Rico, Alaska, South Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kenai.

Is Kenai a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Kenai is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Kenai?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kenai include Anastacio, Claire, Henri. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Kenai

Kenai is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1992 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Kenai's peak popularity came in 2026 when it ranked #755. Use the chart and map above to compare Kenai's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.