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Kijana
How to Pronounce Kijana
Pronounced kee-JAH-nuh /kiˈdʒɑː.nə/Medium
Meaning: Kijana is the Swahili word for 'youth' or 'young person,' used across East Africa. As a given name it carries that direct, hopeful meaning of youthfulness, and it entered small American use as an African-heritage name.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
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
Kijana comes straight from Swahili, where it means 'youth' or 'young person.' It entered American naming as families sought authentic African-heritage names in the later twentieth century, and it reached its small high near 1995 at a couple hundred boys across its run's busiest years.
A boy named Kijana at that peak is in his twenties or thirties today. The name stayed rare in the States and reads as a meaningful heritage choice with a clear, positive sense; its Swahili roots set it apart from the coined names of its era.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- ★Kijana Wamalwa (1943–2003)Kenyan politician who served as Vice-President of Kenya
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Kijana mean?
Kijana is the Swahili word for 'youth' or 'young person.'
How do you pronounce Kijana?
It's said kee-JAH-nuh /kiˈdʒɑː.nə/ — three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Kijana a boy or girl name?
Kijana is used here as a boy's name.
How popular is Kijana?
Kijana has always been rare in the U.S., with a little more use in the mid-nineties; it remains an uncommon heritage name.