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Home › Baby Names Directory › Kemal

Kemal

♂ Boy

Pronounced keh-MAHL /kɛˈmɑl/Medium

Meaning: From the Turkish Kemal (from the Arabic kamal), 'perfection; maturity; completeness; excellence'; borne by Mustafa Kemal AtaturkLow

In 30 seconds: Perfection; maturity; excellence: Kemal is a Turkish name. Crisp and warm (said 'keh-MAHL').
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Origin MediumTurkish, Arabic
MeaningFrom the Turkish Kemal (from the Arabic kamal), 'perfection; maturity; completeness; excellence'; borne by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
U.S. rank (2025)#13007 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 373

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202319652025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kemal comes from the Turkish Kemal (from the Arabic kamal), 'perfection; maturity; completeness; excellence'; borne by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. A crisp name (said 'keh-MAHL').

In the U.S. it appears very rarely, mostly in Turkish families. Rare, perfection at the root, and crisp.

Did you know? Kemal is 'perfection; maturity; excellence' in Turkish (from the Arabic kamal) — borne by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey — a crisp choice (said 'keh-MAHL').
Overall data confidence 56%
References — Kemal — Turkish/Arabic; perfection

Variations

KamalCemal

Nicknames

Kem

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kemal…

Kamal— the Arabic root name
Jamal— a rhyming -mal name
Kadir— a companion Turkish boys' name
Jamaal— lands in the same popularity range
Kamaal— shares Kemal's Arabic roots

Explore names like Kemal

By themearabicclassicturkish

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kemal mean?

Kemal is Turkish for 'perfection; maturity; excellence' (from the Arabic kamal); borne by Ataturk.

How do you pronounce Kemal?

It's said keh-MAHL /kɛˈmɑl/ — two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Kemal a boy or girl name?

Kemal is a boy's name.

How popular is Kemal?

Kemal is a very rare name in the U.S.

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