Kenya is the name of the East African country, which is named after Mount Kenya; the Kikuyu name of the mountain, Kirinyaga, is usually translated as "mountain of whiteness" or "God's resting place" because of its snowy peaks. As a girls' name Kenya became popular in African American families after the country's independence in 1963. It stood at number 508 in 2000, left the top 1000 after 2017 and ranks number 2499 in 2025.