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Kemi as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kemi

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The baby name Kemi is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEH-mee; IPA: /ˈkɛmi/ (Yoruba: Kémi).

Kemi is Yoruba in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Yoruba
Pronunciation: KEH-mee; IPA: /ˈkɛmi/ (Yoruba: Kémi)

What is the meaning of the name Kemi ?

The baby name Kemi is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEH-mee; IPA: /ˈkɛmi/ (Yoruba: Kémi).

Kemi is Yoruba in Origin.

Kemi is a Yoruba given name and nickname formed from the verb kẹ́, “to cherish/pamper,” plus the first‑person mi, yielding the sense “cherish me” or “pamper me.” It often appears as a clipped form of longer theophoric or virtue names such as Oluwakemi (“the Lord cherishes me”), Adekemi (“the crown pampers me”), Olakemi (“wealth/honor cherishes me”), and Ayokemi (“joy pampers me”). With Yoruba diacritics it may be written Kẹ́mí.

As a standalone name, Kemi is widely used in southwestern Nigeria and across the Yoruba diaspora, and has grown in international visibility since the late 20th century. It is most commonly feminine, though Yoruba naming is broadly unisex. Variant spellings and pet forms include Kemi and Kemmy/Kemmie; related extended forms include Olukemi. Outside West Africa, the name also coincides with the Finnish place name Kemi, which occasionally lends it geographic associations, though the origins are unrelated.

Kemi has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Kemi

Kemi Adetiba Actor · Born 1980 · Nigeria Kemi Adetiba is a Nigerian filmmaker and music video director best known for her work on the film 'The Wedding Party', which became a major hit in Nigeria. She has also directed music videos for popular artists like Tiwa Savage and Wizkid. Born in 1980, Kemi has made a significant impact on the Nigerian entertainment industry.

Kemi – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2023 #1 897
ET Girls 0 #16 1 372
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
NG Girls 0 #74 4,201 15,093
AZ Girls 0 #75 1 1,051
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
JM 0 #93 1 3,714
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
TW 0 #102 2 4,523
NG 0 #106 174 5,926
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
BG Boys 0 #218 3 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
BG Girls 0 #229 3 3,559
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
JP Girls 0 #248 4 6,592
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
TW Boys 0 #256 1 7,111
MO Girls 0 #260 4 7,056
JM Girls 0 #276 3 7,507
SG 0 #282 1 11,010
TW Girls 0 #287 3 8,139
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
Canada Boys 2021 #311 5 2,600
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
CN Boys 0 #329 3 9,639
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
GH Girls 0 #333 5 6,973
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
CN Girls 0 #358 2 8,829
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
France Boys 2021 #372 16 2,865
OM Girls 0 #377 20 15,987
BD Girls 0 #404 3 8,413
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
France Girls 2011 #416 3 3,153
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
LY 0 #515 21 12,703
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
RU Boys 0 #526 1 12,621
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
AE Girls 0 #541 13 20,968
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
CM Girls 0 #556 5 11,671
KW Girls 0 #561 1 19,177
CM Boys 0 #569 7 12,054
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
SG Girls 0 #632 1 18,916
IL Girls 0 #640 6 11,648
HK Girls 0 #644 7 16,104
BO Girls 0 #650 2 9,488
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
SG Boys 0 #734 6 17,960
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
KW Boys 0 #801 6 18,755
NG Boys 0 #815 137 16,906
TN 0 #864 2 13,765
United States Girls 2024 #907 10 8,487
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
OM Boys 0 #916 3 17,948
EG Boys 0 #920 6 15,035
PE Boys 0 #922 5 14,506
SA Girls 0 #925 11 25,931
NL Girls 0 #935 21 5,933
EG Girls 0 #936 24 14,742
BR Girls 0 #988 5 12,708
PE Girls 0 #1,006 5 14,861
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,065 8 24,821
MY Boys 0 #1,099 13 25,439
ZA Girls 0 #1,105 37 25,928
CO Girls 0 #1,146 7 16,140
ZA Boys 0 #1,155 24 25,619
MA 0 #1,199 1 20,986
DZ 0 #1,229 6 20,130
TR 0 #1,252 3 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,265 3 17,781
IT Girls 0 #1,430 17 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,451 21 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,683 9 28,008

Kemi is popular in 65 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
France
Ireland
AE
AL

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People also ask about Kemi

Kemi is predominantly a girl's name.
Kemi is a 2 syllable name, pronounced KEH-mee; IPA: /ˈkɛmi/ (Yoruba: Kémi).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kémi, Kemí, Kemmy, Kemii, Adekemi and Oluwakemi.
Across languages, Kemi has these equivalents: Amy — 'beloved' (Latin/Old French), dear' (Latin/Italian), Amanda — 'worthy of love' (Latin), Dorothy / Theodora — 'gift of God' (similar when Kemi is used in theophoric sense).
Yes, very popular — Kemi ranked #1 in Ireland in 2023, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Kemi ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2023).
Kemi's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #928 in 2014 to #907 in 2024 in United States.
Yes — 1 notable people named Kemi are in our database, including Kemi Adetiba (Actor).