Kenyatta
Kenyatta is an African masculine name of Kenyan origin from the Kikuyu tribe. It derives from the surname of Jomo Kenyatta, the first Prime Minister and then President of Kenya from 1964 to 1978.
- African American
Meaning & Origin of Kenyatta
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kenyatta is an African masculine name of Kenyan origin from the Kikuyu tribe. It derives from the surname of Jomo Kenyatta, the first Prime Minister and then President of Kenya from 1964 to 1978.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- African American
The Story of Kenyatta
As a girl name
American parents first put Kenyatta on the record books as a girl name in 1962, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1975, when 217 Kenyattas were born — ranking #688 that year. About 33% of every Kenyatta on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Kenyatta last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 4K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Kenyatta first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1961, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1975: 226 births, good for #533 nationwide. About 44% of every Kenyatta on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kenyatta ranks #7,361 for boys with 9 births, falling sharply (-30%). All told, over 3K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kenyatta
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kenyatta 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 Kenyatta
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About the name Kenyatta
Kenyatta is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1962 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Kenyatta's peak popularity came in 1975 when it ranked #688. Use the chart and map above to compare Kenyatta's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1975 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.