Girl · #10,517 in 2026

Kimala

James Arthur Harris, better known by his ring name Kamala, was an American professional wrestler. Nicknamed "The Ugandan Giant", Kamala depicted a fearsome and simpleminded Ugandan. He wrestled barefoot, clad only in a loincloth, his face painted with war paint and two stars painted on his chest and a moon painted on his stomach.

Current Rank
#10,517
Peak Rank
#2,472 (1961)
Total Babies
326
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1955
First Year
1982
Last Year
1961
Peak Year
#2472
Peak Rank
326
Total Count
26
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kimala

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

James Arthur Harris, better known by his ring name Kamala, was an American professional wrestler. Nicknamed "The Ugandan Giant", Kamala depicted a fearsome and simpleminded Ugandan. He wrestled barefoot, clad only in a loincloth, his face painted with war paint and two stars painted on his chest and a moon painted on his stomach.

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

The Story of Kimala

Kimala first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1955, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1961, when 24 Kimalas were born — ranking #2,472 that year. As of 2026, Kimala ranks #10,517 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 326 Kimalas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Kimala

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kimala 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 Kimala

What does the name Kimala mean?
James Arthur Harris, better known by his ring name Kamala, was an American professional wrestler. Nicknamed "The Ugandan Giant", Kamala depicted a fearsome and simpleminded Ugandan. He wrestled barefoot, clad only in a loincloth, his face painted with war paint and two stars painted on his chest and a moon painted on his stomach.
How popular is Kimala in 2026?
In 2026, Kimala ranks #10,517 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Kimala most popular?
Kimala reached its peak popularity in 1961, ranking #2,472 that year with 24 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Kimala most popular?
Kimala has historically been most popular in Tennessee, Indiana, Ohio. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kimala.
Is Kimala a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Kimala is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Kimala?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kimala include Verlean, Lorriane, Idolina. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Verlean
Peak #2472
👧
Lorriane
Peak #2472
👧
Idolina
Peak #2472
👧
Terrilynn
Peak #2472
👧
Debarah
Peak #2472
👧
Staria
Peak #2472
👧
Cidney
Peak #2471
👧
Nija
Peak #2471

About the name Kimala

Kimala is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1955 and has accumulated 326 births in the dataset. Kimala's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #2,472. Use the chart and map above to compare Kimala'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.