Boys' name · since 1971
Kamau
Since 1971, U.S. Social Security records show 931 babies named Kamau, peaking in 1995. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5,363 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,806 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 931
- born since 1971
- 1990s
- peak decade
931 babies have been named Kamau since 1971, making it today's #7806 boys' name.
Kamau has 931 recorded births among boys since 1971, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #7806 as of the latest data, more common than 44% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1971 to 2025.
- #5,363 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #7,806 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 931 born since 1971
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kamau ranks #5,363 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,806 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 931 born since 1971, peaking in the 1990s.
- #5,363 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #7,806 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 931
- born since 1971
- 1990s
- peak decade
Kamau's 931 recorded births place it above 88.18% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Kamau compares
931 Top 33% higher than 67% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kamau's all-time total is 152% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kamau | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 931 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 34 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kamau's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kamau's full recorded timeline at 1998, 45% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 55% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 2016, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1995 peak of 34 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kamau popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2025
- Peak year (1995)
- 34
- Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
Kamau by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (246 births, 26% of the file).
1990s was Kamau's strongest decade.
246 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Kamau births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s
1970s
205 births
- 1980s
1980s
118 births
- 1990s
1990s
246 births
- 2000s
2000s
180 births
- 2010s
2010s
112 births
- 2020s 70
2020s
70 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 246 births (26% of all-time use).
How Kamau compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kamau's total volume
Kamau by state
Where Kamau concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 39 | 4.2% |
| #2 | California | | 24 | 2.6% |
| #3 | Maryland | | 10 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 7 | 0.8% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 0.5% |
39 of 931 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kamau? ▼
Where does Kamau sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kamau most popular? ▼
Where is Kamau most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kamau been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kamau? ▼
What to do with Kamau's data
- Kamau's decade-level peak was the 1990s (246 total births); usage has since declined to 70 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kamaus (39 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kamau
Nearby Names Like Kamau
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kamau
Compare Kamau side by side: Kamau vs Kameron Kamau vs Kamden Kamau vs Kamari
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kamau
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kamau: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1995)
Similar record span (~54 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1971–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kamau draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.