Keanu
Meaning
the cool breeze (Hawaiian ke + anu, "coolness")
The story
Keanu is Hawaiian, the cool breeze: ke is the definite article, anu is coolness in the classic Hawaiian dictionary. American records pick it up in the 1990s, about 1,600 boys, and Behind the Name notes the name is now associated with the actor Keanu Reeves. It has climbed every decade since: about 2,000 in the 2000s, about 2,100 in the 2010s, and with about 3,000 so far this decade it has already passed its full 2010s total with years still to run. A little of the early wave touched girls too, about 150 in the 1990s, before the name settled almost entirely on boys. Few names carry their translation so lightly: cool by meaning, cool by association, and climbing in both senses.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Keanu peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
32 people · the #90,373 first name in Brazil · median age 18
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Keanu
Most people given the name Keanu in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Keanu deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Keanu truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Keanu fits with your family’s names and surname.
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