Keanu
Keanu was the 649th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 427 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 515th with 557 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 377 places. More babies were named Keanu in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning the coolness (Hawaiian) · Hawaiian
Say it kee-AH-noo /kiˈɑnu/
- Rank in 2025
- #649 boys, down 134 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 427boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2020557 babies
- Total since 1880
- 8,920babies recorded
What does the name Keanu mean?
Keanu is a Hawaiian boys' name made of ke, the, and anu, coolness or cool breeze, so "the coolness." Wiktionary notes that in the warm Hawaiian climate, coolness is a symbol of happiness and romance, and that Keanu also serves as a short form of longer names that begin this way. American records show the name only from 1990, for boys and soon after for girls.
ke (Hawaiian, “the”)anu (Hawaiian, “coolness, cool”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only; no edited Hawaiian dictionary could be checked.
Related names: Kaeanu.
See also: Hawaiian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Keanu' (Hawaiian section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Keanu' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Keanu popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 225 since 1991.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #649 | 427 |
| 2020 | #515 | 557 |
| 2010 | #1,146 | 162 |
| 2000 | #771 | 216 |
| 1990 | #6,138 | 8 |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Keanu, counting every spelling?
Keanu has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #636 for boys in 2025, against #649 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Keanu?
427 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Keanu (0.12 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Keanu born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 20 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Keanu.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Keanu?
About 8,600 people born in the US named Keanu are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 5 and 24. That makes Keanu a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Keanu by state
How common Keanu was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (17.7×), Nevada (3.3×), New Mexico (2.7×), California (2.0×), Utah (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Louisiana, Iowa, Missouri.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Keanu: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Keanu, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Keanu · Sibling names for Keanu
Questions about the name Keanu
What does Keanu mean?
Keanu means “the coolness (Hawaiian)” (Hawaiian origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Keanu?
Keanu was the 649th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 427 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 515th with 557 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 377 places. More babies were named Keanu in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Keanu a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Keanu in the US.
Where is Keanu most popular?
In 2021–2025, Keanu was most common in Hawaii (5.02 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nevada and New Mexico.