The baby name Kena is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEH-nah (ˈkɛnə),KEE-nah (ˈkiːnə).
The baby name Kena is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KEH-nah (ˈkɛnə),KEE-nah (ˈkiːnə).
Kena is Gaelic, Sanskrit, Scottish in Origin.
Kena is a multicultural given name with several strands of origin. In Sanskrit, kena (केन) means “by whom,” a philosophical prompt that titles the Kena Upanishad; in modern India it is used as a unisex name evoking inquiry into the divine. In the English-speaking world, Kena most often functions as a streamlined form of Kenna or McKenna, themselves linked to Gaelic Cionaodh/Cináed (“born of fire”) or Coinneach (“handsome, fair”). It can also be a clipped form of Kikuyu Makena (“the happy one”).
Usage is sporadic but global: predominantly feminine in North America and East Africa, unisex in South Asia. Variant and related forms include Kenna, McKenna, Makena, and Keena; short forms like Keni appear informally. Depending on lineage, meanings range from “by whom?” (philosophical seeker) to “born of fire,” “handsome/fair,” or “happy one.”
Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.
| Country | Gender | Year | Rank | Born | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ET | Boys | 0 | #25 | 3 | 678 |
| NA | 0 | #31 | 3 | 2,537 | |
| AL | 0 | #73 | 4 | 2,372 | |
| BN | Girls | 0 | #114 | 1 | 5,459 |
| AZ | Boys | 0 | #130 | 2 | 1,400 |
| BW | Girls | 0 | #132 | 17 | 4,216 |
| GR | 0 | #135 | 1 | 3,911 | |
| BW | Boys | 0 | #152 | 3 | 4,685 |
| RS | Boys | 0 | #152 | 3 | 2,277 |
| MT | Girls | 0 | #153 | 1 | 3,773 |
| PR | Girls | 0 | #167 | 1 | 3,171 |
| HR | 0 | #181 | 1 | 2,081 | |
| AL | Girls | 0 | #197 | 26 | 4,141 |
| SI | Boys | 0 | #211 | 1 | 3,402 |
| AO | Girls | 0 | #217 | 1 | 4,575 |
| NA | Girls | 0 | #235 | 3 | 7,146 |
| AO | Boys | 0 | #248 | 2 | 5,568 |
| GH | 0 | #248 | 1 | 5,396 | |
| GR | Girls | 0 | #248 | 2 | 6,293 |
| PT | 0 | #249 | 2 | 4,161 | |
| NA | Boys | 0 | #250 | 4 | 6,830 |
| TW | Boys | 0 | #256 | 1 | 7,111 |
| EC | Girls | 0 | #258 | 1 | 3,650 |
| JM | Girls | 0 | #274 | 5 | 7,507 |
| TW | Girls | 0 | #286 | 4 | 8,139 |
| KZ | Boys | 0 | #292 | 5 | 6,578 |
| AL | Boys | 0 | #303 | 1 | 5,122 |
| DK | Girls | 0 | #329 | 1 | 7,429 |
| KZ | Girls | 0 | #332 | 1 | 5,862 |
| GH | Girls | 0 | #336 | 2 | 6,973 |
| QA | Girls | 0 | #341 | 3 | 15,378 |
| MY | 0 | #354 | 1 | 12,352 | |
| CN | Girls | 0 | #357 | 3 | 8,829 |
| GH | Boys | 0 | #358 | 4 | 8,138 |
| MU | Girls | 0 | #361 | 2 | 8,539 |
| CL | 0 | #397 | 15 | 6,867 | |
| MX | 0 | #404 | 10 | 8,339 | |
| BD | Girls | 0 | #405 | 2 | 8,413 |
| OM | Girls | 0 | #423 | 2 | 15,987 |
| SD | Boys | 0 | #463 | 4 | 10,523 |
| PT | Girls | 0 | #471 | 1 | 7,952 |
| ZA | 0 | #474 | 1 | 14,421 | |
| CO | 0 | #508 | 3 | 7,768 | |
| CL | Girls | 0 | #515 | 378 | 14,098 |
| PA | Girls | 0 | #517 | 2 | 9,861 |
| RU | Girls | 0 | #520 | 4 | 11,913 |
| IQ | Girls | 0 | #524 | 2 | 11,303 |
| RU | Boys | 0 | #525 | 2 | 12,621 |
| UY | Girls | 0 | #535 | 2 | 6,731 |
| GT | Girls | 0 | #538 | 4 | 7,500 |
| PS | Girls | 0 | #547 | 1 | 10,981 |
| HK | Boys | 0 | #557 | 1 | 12,905 |
| LY | 0 | #557 | 3 | 12,703 | |
| CM | Girls | 0 | #558 | 3 | 11,671 |
| KW | Girls | 0 | #558 | 4 | 19,177 |
| PS | Boys | 0 | #561 | 1 | 10,655 |
| IR | Boys | 0 | #565 | 1 | 10,162 |
| CR | Girls | 0 | #571 | 3 | 11,342 |
| CM | Boys | 0 | #575 | 1 | 12,054 |
| BH | 0 | #582 | 6 | 17,937 | |
| AE | Girls | 0 | #589 | 9 | 20,968 |
| BD | Boys | 0 | #605 | 1 | 10,045 |
| IN | Girls | 0 | #621 | 11 | 13,121 |
| IL | Boys | 0 | #625 | 1 | 10,983 |
| AR | Girls | 0 | #629 | 2 | 8,289 |
| SG | Girls | 0 | #630 | 3 | 18,916 |
| IL | Girls | 0 | #644 | 2 | 11,648 |
| HK | Girls | 0 | #649 | 2 | 16,104 |
| LB | 0 | #688 | 3 | 13,263 | |
| IQ | Boys | 0 | #696 | 2 | 13,071 |
| CL | Boys | 0 | #698 | 3 | 13,390 |
| SY | 0 | #717 | 12 | 11,684 | |
| SG | Boys | 0 | #738 | 2 | 17,960 |
| QA | Boys | 0 | #742 | 2 | 18,093 |
| BR | Boys | 0 | #783 | 3 | 12,213 |
| KW | Boys | 0 | #802 | 5 | 18,755 |
| NG | Girls | 0 | #826 | 1 | 15,093 |
| TN | 0 | #865 | 1 | 13,765 | |
| United States | Boys | 2023 | #890 | 9 | 7,053 |
| United States | Girls | 2024 | #898 | 19 | 8,487 |
| OM | Boys | 0 | #918 | 1 | 17,948 |
| EG | Boys | 0 | #919 | 7 | 15,035 |
| SA | Girls | 0 | #920 | 16 | 25,931 |
| BR | Girls | 0 | #925 | 17 | 12,708 |
| EG | Girls | 0 | #950 | 10 | 14,742 |
| MX | Boys | 0 | #967 | 16 | 16,355 |
| Spain | Girls | 0 | #974 | 10 | 5,561 |
| CO | Boys | 0 | #979 | 3 | 15,656 |
| IN | Boys | 0 | #992 | 10 | 16,750 |
| MX | Girls | 0 | #992 | 192 | 17,781 |
| NG | Boys | 0 | #998 | 4 | 16,906 |
| PE | Girls | 0 | #1,008 | 3 | 14,861 |
| ZA | Girls | 0 | #1,036 | 106 | 25,928 |
| CO | Girls | 0 | #1,058 | 21 | 16,140 |
| MY | Girls | 0 | #1,070 | 3 | 24,821 |
| MY | Boys | 0 | #1,098 | 14 | 25,439 |
| AE | Boys | 0 | #1,142 | 2 | 22,615 |
| ZA | Boys | 0 | #1,149 | 30 | 25,619 |
| TR | 0 | #1,189 | 23 | 19,440 | |
| MA | 0 | #1,197 | 3 | 20,986 | |
| DZ | 0 | #1,230 | 5 | 20,130 | |
| IT | Girls | 0 | #1,387 | 60 | 9,415 |
| SA | Boys | 0 | #1,604 | 11 | 28,008 |
Kena is popular in 63 countries — most recent births per country:
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