Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa.
- African American
Meaning & Origin of Nairobi
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya, located in the south-central part of the country. As of 2024, it has a population of 4.8 million and a metropolitan population of 5.7 million, making it the 11th most populous city in Africa.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- African American
Origin & history
The Story of Nairobi
Nairobi first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1983, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 242 Nairobis were born — ranking #1,042 that year. As of 2026, Nairobi ranks #1,573 for baby girls with 134 births, rising sharply (+41% over the past five years). In total, more than 2K Nairobis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Nairobi
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Ishmael Awange (born 1989), basketball player
- Dvora Bochman (born 1950), Israeli artist, painter, sculptor, graphic designer and art educator
- Elsa Conrad (1887–1963), German businesswoman and night club entrepreneur
- Richard Dawkins (born 1941), British evolutionary biologist
- Roshanara Ebrahim (born 1993), TV host, model, author and beauty pageant titleholder
- Chris Froome (born 1985), born in Nairobi, British professional cyclist 4x Tour de France Winner
- Edi Gathegi (born 1979), actor
- Fena Gitu (born 1991), rapper
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Nairobi
Phonetically similar names — useful when Nairobi 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 Nairobi
What does the name Nairobi mean?
What is the origin of the name Nairobi?
How popular is Nairobi in 2026?
When was Nairobi most popular?
In which U.S. states is Nairobi most popular?
Is Nairobi a unisex name?
What names go well with Nairobi?
About the name Nairobi
Nairobi is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1983 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Nairobi's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #1,042. Use the chart and map above to compare Nairobi's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "N" →
- 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.