Given name
Kenai
“a good-looking woman”
Kenai is a variant of Kenae. One Irish interpretation is “a good-looking woman.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Kenai is a variant of Kenae. One Irish interpretation is “a good-looking woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Kenai is a variant of Kenae. An origin associated with Kenae is Irish.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1992. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kenai through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,465
- 2,391 boys · 74 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 383 babies
- 2025
- 383
- #713 for boys · #14,074 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +138%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 377 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 713 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 137.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 6 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (38). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 933 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Kenai, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kian
“from an ancient family”
>99% boys
Makai
“who is like God?”
98% boys · 2% girls
Koda
Koda is a masculine given name.
91% boys · 9% girls
Jasai
99% boys · 1% girls
Koa
“a fearless man”
90% boys · 10% girls
Kolson
>99% boys
Cassian
“one who is empty; hollow; vain”
99% boys · 1% girls
Kaysen
“a seer”
97% boys · 3% girls