Kenya, a diverse and multilingual country is renowned not just for its vast wildlife preserves and scenic landscapes, but also several ethnic groups, which speak their native languages within their communities. This explains the varied baby names of this country.
Kenyans are very particular about the name they bestow on their children. They believe that each name has a specific trait and anyone with the particular name is sure to bear it. Parents also give names that honor and preserve their Kenyan heritage. So even if the first names are western (which is rare), the second would be about the circumstances surrounding the child’s birth.
Not just first names, even second names or ethnic names are extremely important in Kenya, so much that you haven't introduced yourself until you disclose the second name. Also, Kenyans feel incomplete when they bear non-ethic names. But they may create variations of the typical name to make them appropriate for their ethnic tribes.
Traditional Kenyan communities also use matronym in their names, which is appended with ‘wa’. The use of matronym stems from the practice of polygamy among the men. Hence, using mother’s name is important, since the father needs to know which wife gave them which son or daughter.
If you’re looking for unique and beautiful Kenyan baby names, you’ve come to the right place. MomJunction has an excellent collection of Kenyan baby boy and girl names to make your child stand out. Take a look.
NAMES | MEANING | GENDER | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amara | Immortal Being; one who is blessed without end or death; blessed with eternal life; Grace or Bitter | Boy | |||
Amelia | The one who is industrious, hard working and fertile | Girl | |||
Asher | Blessed, happy; fortunate and blessed individual | Boy | |||
Atticus | A person from Attica | Boy | |||
Aurora | A Roman Goddess; wonderful dawn and breezy | Girl | |||
Ava | A bird; a living organism of the ecosystem | Girl | |||
Charlotte | Feminine form of Charles; freeman | Girl | |||
Cora | Boiling water that has foams; can also mean maiden, a young woman | Girl | |||
Genevieve | Tirbe woman | Girl | |||
Henry | Estate ruler | Boy | |||
Isla | From Islay or Aileach, which means Rocky Place | Girl | |||
Jack | One who thinks that the God is gracious | Boy | |||
Jasper | One who brings treasure | Boy | |||
Milo | A merciful soldier | Boy | |||
Olivia | The one who is closer to olive tree. | Girl | |||
Rose | A beautiful flower | Girl | |||
Silas | Of the forest | Boy | |||
Theodore | A gift from God | Unisex | |||
Wyatt | The little warrior | Boy | |||
Aasir | One with a captivating and fascinating personality. | Boy | |||
Absco | One with an inventive mind. | Girl | |||
Absko | Power and strength | Boy | |||
Abuya | One who was born when the garden was overgrown. | Girl | |||
Achieng | One born during the day time. | Girl | |||
Adamu | A variant of Adam, meaning father of mankind. | Boy | |||
Adimu | Rare | Girl | |||
Adongo | The second of twins. | Girl | |||
Afaafa | Virtue | Girl | |||
Akello | Baby girl born after twins. | Girl | |||
Akeyo | One who was born during the harvest. | Girl | |||
Alamini | Trustworthy | Boy | |||
Alhaadi | Guide | Boy | |||
Almasi | Diamond | Girl | |||
Aluna | Kenyan term, literally meaning come here. | Girl | |||
Aluoch | One who was born during an overcast morning. | Girl | |||
Aminifu | A woman who is faithful. | Girl | |||
Angavu | Shining one | Girl | |||
Angweng | One who was born during the time of white ants. | Girl | |||
Anyango | One who was born during mid day. | Girl | |||
Apiyo | First of the twins. | Girl | |||
Arogo | One who nagged a lot during pregnancy. | Girl | |||
Ashura | Friend or the one who accompanies. | Boy | |||
Asilia | Honest | Girl | |||
Atieno | One who was born at night. | Girl | |||
Awino | One who was born with the cord around. | Girl | |||
Barasa | Kenyan term meaning meeting site. | Boy | |||
Barongo | The younger of twin. | Girl | |||
Bishara | Good tidings. | Girl | |||
Chausiku | One who was born at night. | Girl | |||
Chege | A Kikuyu people of Kenya | Boy | |||