Kenai
Kenai is a boy's name of Indigenous American origin.
Meaning
Flat meadow or open land; named after the Kenai Peninsula.
Origin and history
Kenai is an Indigenous American name derived from the Dena'ina Athabaskan word 'Kenaitze', referring to the Kenai Peninsula and river region in Alaska. The name gained popular usage in the United States following the release of Disney's 2003 animated film 'Brother Bear', where it belonged to the lead character. In recent years, its popularity has grown significantly, entering the top 1000 names for boys in the U.S.
Popularity in the United States
2,391 babies in the United States have been named Kenai since 1880. It ranks #2653 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #886.
States where it is most popular
- CA (16.4 %)
- FL (11.3 %)
- TX (11 %)
- WA (8.4 %)
- CO (5 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 0 |
| 1930-1940 | 0 |
| 1940-1950 | 0 |
| 1950-1960 | 0 |
| 1960-1970 | 0 |
| 1970-1980 | 0 |
| 1980-1990 | 0 |
| 1990-2000 | 10 |
| 2000-2010 | 266 |
| 2010-2019 | 689 |
| 2020-2029 | 1,426 |
Fun facts
- The name is directly tied to the Kenai Peninsula, river, and mountain range in southern Alaska.
- Usage of the name spiked after the main character Kenai appeared in Disney's 2003 movie Brother Bear.
- Over half of the cumulative U.S. births for boys named Kenai since 1880 have occurred since 2020.