Kamaiyah
A feminine given name of African origin meaning "thankfulness to God".
Name Census estimates that about 370 living Americans carry the first name Kamaiyah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kamaiyah today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kamaiyah births was 2020 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kamaiyah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kamaiyah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
370
~ 1 in 926,363 Americans
Peak year
2020
51 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,666
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Kamaiyah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kamaiyah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 209 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kamaiyah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kamaiyah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kamaiyahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Kamaiyah, while Florida, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kamaiyah
The name Kamaiyah is a modern-day name that does not have a definitive origin or historical background. It appears to be a unique and creative combination of sounds and syllables that may have been inspired by various cultural influences.
While the exact roots of the name are unclear, some linguists have suggested that it could be a blend of elements from different languages or cultures. The prefix "Kama" bears resemblance to the Sanskrit word "kama," which means desire or love in Hindu philosophy. However, this connection is speculative and has not been confirmed.
There are no known ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records that mention the name Kamaiyah explicitly. The name's uniqueness and modern origin make it challenging to trace its historical usage or significance.
Due to its relatively recent emergence, there are no prominent historical figures or notable individuals recorded with the name Kamaiyah from past eras. However, in contemporary times, the name has gained some recognition, particularly in the music industry.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Kamaiyah is the American rapper and songwriter Kamaiyah Johnson, born in 1992. She rose to prominence in the late 2010s with her distinctive West Coast hip-hop style and has released several acclaimed projects, including the mixtape "A Good Night in the Ghetto" and the album "Divine Timing."
Beyond the music world, there are a few other individuals who share the name Kamaiyah, but their public profiles and accomplishments are relatively limited compared to the rapper mentioned above.
It is worth noting that while the name Kamaiyah may not have a rich historical background, its uniqueness and modern appeal have led to its increasing usage in recent years, particularly among parents seeking distinctive and creative names for their children.
People
Kamaiyah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kamaiyah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kamaiyah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kamaiyah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 370 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kamaiyah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 926,363 US residents.
Is Kamaiyah a common name?
We classify Kamaiyah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 372 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kamaiyah most popular?
The single biggest year for Kamaiyah was 2020, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kamaiyah is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kamaiyah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kamaiyah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kamaiyah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kamaiyah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kamaiyah in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kamaiyah can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Kamaiyah?
Find out how many people share the name Kamaiyah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.