1000 Most Common Surnames in Kenya

Rank The surname's ranking is determined by its frequency of occurrence	Surname	Incidence The number of people who share the same surname	Frequency The ratio of people who share the same surname
1	Otieno	547,628	1:84
2	Mohamed Muslim: variant of Muhammad. See also Mohammed.	496,642	1:93
3	Mwangi	479,601	1:96
4	Odhiambo	351,165	1:132
5	Maina	350,099	1:132
6	Ochieng	336,595	1:137
7	Ali Muslim (widespread throughout the Muslim world): from the Arabic personal name ?Ali ‘high’, ‘lofty’, ‘sublime’. Al-?Ali ‘the All-High’ is an attribute of Allah. Abdul-?Ali means ‘servant of the All-High’. ?Ali ibn Abi ?Talib (c. 600–661), the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, was the fourth and last of the ‘rightly guided’ khalifs (ruled 656–61) and the first imam of the Shiite Muslims. His assassination led to the appearance of the Shiite sect.	268,460	1:172
8	Kamau	262,692	1:176
9	Omondi	262,542	1:176
10	Onyango	261,479	1:177
11	Juma	240,401	1:192
12	Hassan Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic hassan ‘beautifier’. The poet Hassan bin Sabit was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Muslim: variant spelling of Hasan. Irish (County Derry): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó hÓsáin ‘descendant of Ósán’, a personal name formed from a diminutive of os ‘deer’.	235,163	1:196
13	Abdi Muslim: variant of Abdo.	229,333	1:201
14	Wambui	223,175	1:207
15	Atieno The meaning of this surname is not listed.	223,143	1:207
16	Wanjiku	217,242	1:213
17	Njoroge	215,897	1:214
18	Njeri	212,140	1:218
19	Kariuki	202,191	1:228
20	Akinyi	196,693	1:235
21	Wafula	186,183	1:248
22	Achieng	184,543	1:250
23	Muthoni	180,418	1:256
24	Ouma	179,723	1:257
25	Ahmed Muslim: variant spelling of Ahmad.	168,792	1:274
26	Kimani	158,089	1:292
27	Hussein Muslim: variant spelling of Husain.	154,897	1:298
28	Adan Spanish (Adán): from the personal name Adán, Spanish form of Adam. Scottish: probably a variant of Adam. Hungarian (Ádán): variant of Ádám, from the personal name Ádám, Hungarian form of Adam.	150,018	1:308
29	Mutua	149,385	1:309
30	Abdullahi	147,057	1:314
31	Adhiambo	145,622	1:317
32	Cheruiyot	143,087	1:323
33	Njuguna	140,846	1:328
34	Kibet	139,911	1:330
35	Simiyu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	137,516	1:336
36	Macharia	134,886	1:342
37	Wanjala	128,037	1:361
38	Barasa	124,948	1:370
39	Wambua	123,243	1:375
40	Wairimu	119,924	1:385
41	Chebet The meaning of this surname is not listed.	119,331	1:387
42	Koech	118,907	1:388
43	Ibrahim Muslim: from the personal name Ibrahim, Arabic form of Abraham. In Islam, Ibrahim is identified as a prophet, the ancestor of all the Semitic peoples, both Hebrew and Arab, and the father of Isma?il (see Ismail) and Is?haq (see Ishak).	116,609	1:396
44	Omar Muslim (found almost exclusively among Sunni Muslims): from an Arabic personal name of uncertain etymology. It is thought to be related to Arabic ?amir, which means ‘prosperous’, ‘full of life’, ‘large’, ‘substantial’. The root word ?umr means ‘life’. ?Umar bin al-Kha?t?tab was the second of the ‘rightly guided’ khalifs (ruled 634–44). He was known by the title al-Faruq ‘the distinguisher’, i.e. one who distinguishes between truth and falsehood. He was one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad. The Persian poet ?Umar al-Khayyam (1048–1125), also known in English as Omar Khayyam, is the author of the classic poem, the Rubaiyyat. Catalan: topographic name for someone who lived by a group of elm trees, from the collective form of om ‘elm’.	116,471	1:396
45	Nyambura	115,856	1:399
46	Rotich	113,639	1:406
47	Karanja	113,221	1:408
48	Anyango	112,185	1:412
49	Wangui	108,021	1:428
50	Wekesa	107,571	1:429
51	Okoth	106,593	1:433
52	Langat	105,620	1:437
53	Chepkemoi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	105,284	1:439
54	Mutuku	104,688	1:441
55	Owino	98,774	1:468
56	Wangari	97,627	1:473
57	Njoki	97,558	1:473
58	Awuor The meaning of this surname is not listed.	96,435	1:479
59	Musyoka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	95,060	1:486
60	Nyongesa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	94,747	1:487
61	Cherotich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	94,101	1:491
62	Wanyonyi	93,738	1:493
63	Chepkoech The meaning of this surname is not listed.	93,226	1:495
64	Korir	92,624	1:499
65	Chelangat The meaning of this surname is not listed.	91,903	1:502
66	Kiptoo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	91,734	1:503
67	Mwendwa	89,760	1:514
68	Mbugua	88,850	1:520
69	Chege	88,135	1:524
70	Waweru	88,095	1:524
71	Kinyua	87,525	1:528
72	Ngugi	87,161	1:530
73	Kiprotich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	86,286	1:535
74	Kipkoech The meaning of this surname is not listed.	84,973	1:543
75	Oduor	83,470	1:553
76	Mburu	81,782	1:565
77	Akoth The meaning of this surname is not listed.	81,526	1:566
78	Kirui	81,350	1:568
79	Mwende The meaning of this surname is not listed.	81,107	1:569
80	Kioko	80,994	1:570
81	Gitonga	80,981	1:570
82	Rono	79,094	1:584
83	Auma The meaning of this surname is not listed.	78,833	1:586
84	Mwaura	77,146	1:599
85	Muriithi	77,143	1:599
86	Gitau	77,120	1:599
87	Munene	76,782	1:601
88	Wachira	75,169	1:614
89	Irungu	74,541	1:620
90	Njeru	73,665	1:627
91	Kemboi	73,012	1:632
92	Mutai	72,829	1:634
93	Cherono The meaning of this surname is not listed.	71,825	1:643
94	Kimutai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	71,460	1:646
95	Ndungu	70,212	1:658
96	Nyaga	70,171	1:658
97	Mutinda	70,015	1:660
98	Ndung'u	69,993	1:660
99	Chepkorir The meaning of this surname is not listed.	69,975	1:660
100	Ng'ang'a	69,050	1:669
101	Chepkirui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	68,470	1:674
102	Kiprono The meaning of this surname is not listed.	68,150	1:678
103	Mungai	66,825	1:691
104	Bett English and Scottish (Fife and Angus): variant of Betts.	65,663	1:703
105	Muriuki	65,566	1:704
106	Mwenda	64,758	1:713
107	Yussuf	64,452	1:717
108	Njenga	63,933	1:722
109	Said Arabic and Jewish (Sephardic): variant of Sayed or Saeed.	63,662	1:725
110	Osman Turkish: from the Turkish personal name Osman, Turkish form of Arabic ?Uthman. This was the name of the third of the ‘rightly guided’ khalifs (ruled 644–656), one of the ten Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, to whom he gave the good news of entering into paradise. English: variant of Osmond. Dutch: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ans ‘god’ + man ‘man’. Dutch: occupational name for an ox driver, from os ‘ox’, ‘bullock’ + man ‘man’. German (Osmann): variant of Ossmann (see Ossman). Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of Oshman or Hausman.	63,657	1:725
111	Kiprop The meaning of this surname is not listed.	62,974	1:733
112	Mohamud	62,889	1:734
113	Kiplagat	62,328	1:741
114	Kipkorir The meaning of this surname is not listed.	62,126	1:743
115	Awino	61,227	1:754
116	John English, Welsh, German, etc.: ultimately from the Hebrew personal name yo?hanan ‘Jehovah has favored (me with a son)’ or ‘may Jehovah favor (this child)’. This personal name was adopted into Latin (via Greek) as Johannes, and has enjoyed enormous popularity in Europe throughout the Christian era, being given in honor of St. John the Baptist, precursor of Christ, and of St. John the Evangelist, author of the fourth gospel, as well as others of the nearly one thousand other Christian saints of the name. Some of the principal forms of the personal name in other European languages are Welsh Ieuan, Evan, Siôn, and Ioan; Scottish Ia(i)n; Irish Séan; German Johann, Johannes, Hans; Dutch Jan; French Jean; Italian Giovanni, Gianni, Ianni; Spanish Juan; Portuguese João; Greek Ioannes (vernacular Yannis); Czech Jan; Russian Ivan. Polish has surnames both from the western Slavic form Jan and from the eastern Slavic form Iwan. There were a number of different forms of the name in Middle English, including Jan(e), a male name (see Jane); Jen (see Jenkin); Jon(e) (see Jones); and Han(n) (see Hann). There were also various Middle English feminine versions of this name (e.g. Joan, Jehan), and some of these were indistinguishable from masculine forms. The distinction on grounds of gender between John and Joan was not firmly established in English until the 17th century. It was even later that Jean and Jane were specialized as specifically feminine names in English; bearers of these surnames and their derivatives are more likely to derive them from a male ancestor than a female. As a surname in the British Isles, John is particularly frequent in Wales, where it is a late formation representing Welsh Siôn rather than the older form Ieuan (which gave rise to the surname Evan). As an American family name this form has absorbed various cognates from continental European languages. (For forms, see Hanks and Hodges 1988.) It is used as a given name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. has come to be used as a surname among families from southern India.	61,100	1:756
117	Mwaniki	61,086	1:756
118	Charo Spanish: perhaps an altered spelling of Charro, a nickname from charro ‘rustic’. As a forename Charo is a pet form of (María del) Rosario (see Del Rosario).	60,342	1:765
119	Murithi	60,217	1:767
120	Mugo	57,992	1:796
121	Kosgei	57,956	1:797
122	Makokha	57,234	1:807
123	Kyalo	57,206	1:807
124	Karisa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	56,878	1:812
125	Ngetich	56,211	1:822
126	Okumu	55,884	1:826
127	Kinyanjui	55,378	1:834
128	Chepngetich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	54,917	1:841
129	Peter English, Scottish, German, Dutch, etc.: from the personal name Peter (Greek Petros, from petra ‘rock’, ‘stone’). The name was popular throughout Christian Europe in the Middle Ages, having been bestowed by Christ as a byname on the apostle Simon bar Jonah, the brother of Andrew. The name was chosen by Christ for its symbolic significance (John 1:42, Matt. 16:18); St. Peter is regarded as the founding head of the Christian Church in view of Christ’s saying, ‘Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church’. In Christian Germany in the early Middle Ages this was the most frequent personal name of non-Germanic origin until the 14th century. This surname has also absorbed many cognates in other languages, for example Czech Petr, Hungarian Péter. It has also been adopted as a surname by Ashkenazic Jews.	54,885	1:841
130	Maalim	54,858	1:842
131	Issack	54,539	1:847
132	Muli	54,382	1:849
133	Kazungu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	53,957	1:856
134	Katana	53,518	1:863
135	Kimathi	52,873	1:873
136	Kiplangat The meaning of this surname is not listed.	52,431	1:881
137	Wamalwa	51,882	1:890
138	Momanyi	51,827	1:891
139	Musyoki	51,456	1:897
140	Kuria	51,173	1:902
141	Mutisya	50,707	1:911
142	Cheptoo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	50,598	1:913
143	Kipngetich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	50,529	1:914
144	Wainaina	50,204	1:920
145	Chemutai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	49,920	1:925
146	Muchiri	49,540	1:932
147	Nyakundi	49,037	1:942
148	Wanyama	48,534	1:951
149	Sheikh Muslim: from Arabic shaikh, a title denoting a political or spiritual leader of a community. Shaikh ul-Islam ‘leader of Islam’, was the title of the highest religious office in Ottoman Turkey. Shaikh also means ‘chief’ or ‘head’ (Qur’an 28:23). This name is found throughout the Muslim world.	48,463	1:953
150	Mohammed Muslim: variant of Muhammad. This is the traditional English-language spelling. It is also common as a name adopted by Black Americans on conversion to Islam.	47,941	1:963
151	Mugambi	47,759	1:967
152	Kipchumba The meaning of this surname is not listed.	47,241	1:978
153	Nekesa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	47,218	1:978
154	Wanja	47,113	1:980
155	Moraa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	46,421	1:995
156	Odongo	46,331	1:997
157	Opiyo	46,052	1:1,003
158	Noor Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic nur ‘light’, ‘illumination’. Al-Nur ‘the Light’, is an attribute of Allah. It is also found in compound names such as Nur Allah (Nurullah) ‘Light of Allah’ and Nur ud-Din (Nuruddin) ‘Light of Religion’. Dutch: ethnic name for a Norwegian.	45,619	1:1,012
159	Kahindi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	45,559	1:1,014
160	Muiruri	45,073	1:1,025
161	Chepngeno The meaning of this surname is not listed.	44,961	1:1,027
162	Mutunga	44,645	1:1,034
163	Mueni The meaning of this surname is not listed.	44,394	1:1,040
164	Njagi	43,980	1:1,050
165	Ndegwa	43,635	1:1,058
166	Karimi Muslim: adjectival derivative of Karim, meaning ‘relating to Karim’.	43,616	1:1,059
167	Nganga	43,506	1:1,061
168	Nyabuto The meaning of this surname is not listed.	43,247	1:1,068
169	Wanjohi	43,147	1:1,070
170	Kipruto The meaning of this surname is not listed.	42,995	1:1,074
171	David Jewish, Welsh, Scottish, English, French, Portuguese, German, Czech, Slovak (Dávid) and Slovenian: from the Hebrew personal name David ‘beloved’, which has been perennially popular among Jews, in honor of the Biblical king of this name, the greatest of the early kings of Israel. His prominence, and the vivid narrative of his life contained in the First Book of Samuel, led to adoption of the name in various parts of Europe, notably Britain, among Christians in the Middle Ages. The popularity of this as a personal name was increased in Britain, firstly by virtue of its being the name of the patron saint of Wales (about whom very little is known: he was probably a 6th-century monk and bishop) and secondly because it was borne by two kings of Scotland (David I, reigning 1124–53, and David II, 1329–71). Its popularity in Russia is largely due to the fact that this was the ecclesiastical name adopted by St. Gleb (died 1015), one of two sons of Prince Vladimir of Kiev who were martyred for their Christian zeal.	42,903	1:1,076
172	Aden Frisian, Dutch, and North German: patronymic from the personal name Ade. Scottish: habitational name from the old lands and barony of Auden or Aden in Aberdeenshire.	42,889	1:1,077
173	Musa Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Musa (the Biblical Moses). The Qur’an says (19:51): ‘He was specially chosen, and he was a Messenger and a Prophet.’ Southern Italian: habitational name from a place called Musa, particularly the one in Melito di Porto Salvo in Reggio Calabria, and the one in Nissorìa in Enna province, Sicily.	42,868	1:1,077
174	Chepkwony	42,746	1:1,080
175	Sang	42,397	1:1,089
176	Okello	42,324	1:1,091
177	Oluoch	42,068	1:1,098
178	Ndirangu	41,441	1:1,114
179	Munyao The meaning of this surname is not listed.	41,400	1:1,115
180	Murimi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	41,400	1:1,115
181	Mumo	41,239	1:1,120
182	Kipchirchir The meaning of this surname is not listed.	41,034	1:1,125
183	Mwikali The meaning of this surname is not listed.	40,818	1:1,131
184	Njogu	40,508	1:1,140
185	Makena	40,217	1:1,148
186	Owuor	40,148	1:1,150
187	Ngeno The meaning of this surname is not listed.	40,003	1:1,154
188	Mukami The meaning of this surname is not listed.	39,983	1:1,155
189	Kerubo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	39,738	1:1,162
190	Githinji	39,295	1:1,175
191	Joseph English, German, French, and Jewish: from the personal name, Hebrew Yosef ‘may He (God) add (another son)’. In medieval Europe this name was borne frequently but not exclusively by Jews; the usual medieval English vernacular form is represented by Jessup. In the Book of Genesis, Joseph is the favorite son of Jacob, who is sold into slavery by his brothers but rises to become a leading minister in Egypt (Genesis 37–50). In the New Testament Joseph is the husband of the Virgin Mary, which accounts for the popularity of the given name among Christians.	39,100	1:1,181
192	Kipkirui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	39,063	1:1,182
193	Makau	38,832	1:1,189
194	Kendi	38,629	1:1,195
195	Mwanzia The meaning of this surname is not listed.	38,247	1:1,207
196	Ondieki	37,623	1:1,227
197	Mutheu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	36,881	1:1,252
198	Mulwa	36,860	1:1,253
199	Muema	36,840	1:1,254
200	Kilonzo	36,646	1:1,260
201	Cherop The meaning of this surname is not listed.	36,496	1:1,265
202	Muturi	36,034	1:1,282
203	Kiarie	35,949	1:1,285
204	Musembi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	35,868	1:1,287
205	Waithira	35,668	1:1,295
206	Mutiso	35,452	1:1,303
207	Kipkemoi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	35,366	1:1,306
208	Karani	35,162	1:1,313
209	Mwita	35,097	1:1,316
210	Waithera The meaning of this surname is not listed.	35,016	1:1,319
211	Kirimi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	35,011	1:1,319
212	Gatwiri The meaning of this surname is not listed.	35,005	1:1,319
213	Wambugu	34,981	1:1,320
214	Mumbi	34,904	1:1,323
215	Ruto	34,664	1:1,332
216	Makori	34,524	1:1,338
217	Nanjala The meaning of this surname is not listed.	34,164	1:1,352
218	Maingi	34,084	1:1,355
219	Chacha	33,936	1:1,361
220	Mwangangi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	33,906	1:1,362
221	Muhumed	33,830	1:1,365
222	Nduta The meaning of this surname is not listed.	33,753	1:1,368
223	Abdalla Muslim: variant of Abdullah.	33,513	1:1,378
224	Njiru The meaning of this surname is not listed.	33,174	1:1,392
225	Wanjiru	33,117	1:1,394
226	Tanui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	32,692	1:1,413
227	Nasimiyu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	32,617	1:1,416
228	Lagat	32,603	1:1,416
229	Mwiti The meaning of this surname is not listed.	32,530	1:1,420
230	Kinuthia	32,501	1:1,421
231	Kawira The meaning of this surname is not listed.	32,342	1:1,428
232	Ogutu	32,289	1:1,430
233	Farah Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic fara?h ‘joy’, ‘happiness’, ‘delight’.	31,886	1:1,448
234	Rutto	31,647	1:1,459
235	Guyo	31,643	1:1,459
236	Oloo	31,642	1:1,459
237	Musau	31,637	1:1,460
238	Chirchir	31,559	1:1,463
239	Yegon The meaning of this surname is not listed.	31,407	1:1,470
240	Nduku	31,384	1:1,471
241	Salim Muslim and Jewish (Sephardic): from a personal name based on Arabic salim ‘perfect’, ‘faultless’, ‘safe’, ‘secure’. Salim bin Thabet was one of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad. The Mughal emperor Jahangir (1605–1627) was also known as Prince Salim. This is a widespread name in all Muslim countries.	31,210	1:1,480
242	Kwamboka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	31,148	1:1,483
243	Kinya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	31,083	1:1,486
244	Were This surname is derived from a geographical locality. 'at the wear.' Anglo-Saxon wer, a dam, a fence, a wear or weir; v. Ware.John de la Were, Oxfordshire, 1273. Hundred Rolls.Robert de la Were, Gloucestershire, ibid.1665.	30,614	1:1,508
245	Too	30,180	1:1,530
246	Mutuma The meaning of this surname is not listed.	30,093	1:1,535
247	Odero	29,806	1:1,549
248	James English: from a personal name that has the same origin as Jacob. However, among English speakers, it is now felt to be a separate name in its own right. This is largely because in the Authorized Version of the Bible (1611) the form James is used in the New Testament as the name of two of Christ’s apostles (James the brother of John and James the brother of Andrew), whereas in the Old Testament the brother of Esau is called Jacob. The form James comes from Latin Jacobus via Late Latin Jac(o)mus, which also gave rise to Jaime, the regular form of the name in Spanish (as opposed to the learned Jacobo). See also Jack and Jackman. This is a common surname throughout the British Isles, particularly in South Wales.	29,722	1:1,554
249	Abdirahman	29,674	1:1,556
250	Bakari	29,486	1:1,566
251	Mutwiri Mutwiri is a Meru name, meaning yard boy. It refers to someone who fed and herded flocks of animals.	29,456	1:1,568
252	Gakii The meaning of this surname is not listed.	29,447	1:1,568
253	Omollo	29,444	1:1,568
254	Mbithi	29,254	1:1,579
255	Wesonga	28,889	1:1,599
256	Mboya	28,185	1:1,638
257	Kipsang The meaning of this surname is not listed.	28,154	1:1,640
258	Muia	27,656	1:1,670
259	Masinde The meaning of this surname is not listed.	27,381	1:1,687
260	Gathoni	27,327	1:1,690
261	Muthui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	27,313	1:1,691
262	Kiplimo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	27,291	1:1,692
263	Kipngeno The meaning of this surname is not listed.	27,239	1:1,695
264	Kipkemboi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	27,152	1:1,701
265	Paul English, French, German, and Dutch: from the personal name Paul (Latin Paulus ‘small’), which has always been popular in Christendom. It was the name adopted by the Pharisee Saul of Tarsus after his conversion to Christianity on the road to Damascus in about ad 34. He was a most energetic missionary to the Gentiles in the Roman Empire, and played a very significant role in establishing Christianity as a major world religion. The name was borne also by numerous other early saints. The American surname has absorbed cognates from other European languages, for example Greek Pavlis and its many derivatives. It is also occasionally borne by Jews; the reasons for this are not clear. Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Phóil ‘son of Paul’. Compare McFall. Catalan (Paül): habitational name from any of several places named Paül. Spanish: topographic name from paúl ‘marsh’, ‘lagoon’. Spanish: Castilianized form of Basque Padul, a habitational name from a town of this name in Araba province.	27,149	1:1,701
266	Thuo	26,986	1:1,711
267	Nkatha The meaning of this surname is not listed.	26,732	1:1,728
268	Wasike The meaning of this surname is not listed.	26,648	1:1,733
269	Ngigi	26,297	1:1,756
270	Kipyegon The meaning of this surname is not listed.	26,241	1:1,760
271	Mokaya	26,185	1:1,764
272	Mutembei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	26,132	1:1,767
273	Wandera	26,105	1:1,769
274	Nderitu	25,942	1:1,780
275	Mwai	25,783	1:1,791
276	Nyawira The meaning of this surname is not listed.	25,631	1:1,802
277	Kimeu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	25,559	1:1,807
278	Jepchirchir The meaning of this surname is not listed.	25,395	1:1,818
279	Okeyo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	25,333	1:1,823
280	Naliaka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	25,316	1:1,824
281	Chepkurui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	25,230	1:1,830
282	Maiyo	25,227	1:1,831
283	Jeptoo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	25,201	1:1,832
284	Samuel English, Scottish, Welsh, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian (Sámuel), Jewish, and South Indian: from the Biblical male personal name Samuel (Hebrew Shemuel ‘Name of God’). This name is also well established in South India. In North America this has absorbed other European cognates such as Greek Samouelidis. It is found as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. is used as a family name among families from southern India.	25,032	1:1,845
285	Bundi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	24,783	1:1,863
286	Ngari	24,763	1:1,865
287	Mbogo	24,648	1:1,874
288	Kipkosgei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	24,593	1:1,878
289	Kipkurui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	24,564	1:1,880
290	Chelimo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	24,451	1:1,889
291	Baya	24,243	1:1,905
292	Ngala	24,220	1:1,907
293	Waithaka	24,032	1:1,922
294	Omari	24,018	1:1,923
295	Aoko The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,996	1:1,924
296	Kimanzi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,879	1:1,934
297	Ooko The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,820	1:1,939
298	Njue	23,741	1:1,945
299	Mutugi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,735	1:1,946
300	Ndunge	23,684	1:1,950
301	Kenga The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,573	1:1,959
302	Jepkoech The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,525	1:1,963
303	Bosire The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,400	1:1,974
304	Wangechi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,391	1:1,974
305	Ntinyari The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,293	1:1,983
306	Kathambi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,254	1:1,986
307	Morara The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,124	1:1,997
308	Nzioka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,096	1:1,999
309	Sifuna The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,064	1:2,002
310	Kanini The meaning of this surname is not listed.	23,058	1:2,003
311	Mukhwana	23,009	1:2,007
312	Njau	22,816	1:2,024
313	Mwirigi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	22,698	1:2,035
314	Munga	22,671	1:2,037
315	Tsuma	22,583	1:2,045
316	Kirwa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	22,575	1:2,046
317	Kigen	22,567	1:2,046
318	Mathenge	22,446	1:2,057
319	Daniel English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian (Dániel), Romanian, and Jewish: from the Hebrew personal name Daniel ‘God is my judge’, borne by a major prophet in the Bible. The major factor influencing the popularity of the personal name (and hence the frequency of the surname) was undoubtedly the dramatic story in the Book of Daniel, recounting the prophet’s steadfast adherence to his religious faith in spite of pressure and persecution from the Mesopotamian kings in whose court he served: Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar (at whose feast Daniel interpreted the mysterious message of doom that appeared on the wall, being thrown to the lions for his pains). The name was also borne by a 2nd-century Christian martyr and by a 9th-century hermit, the legend of whose life was popular among Christians during the Middle Ages; these had a minor additional influence on the adoption of the Christian name. Among Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe the name was also popular as being that of a 4th-century Persian martyr, who was venerated in the Orthodox Church. Irish: reduced form of McDaniel, which is actually a variant of McDonnell, from the Gaelic form of Irish Donal (equivalent to Scottish Donald), erroneously associated with the Biblical personal name Daniel. See also O’Donnell.	22,221	1:2,078
320	Odiwuor The meaning of this surname is not listed.	22,208	1:2,079
321	Kassim	22,115	1:2,088
322	Mutie The meaning of this surname is not listed.	22,092	1:2,090
323	Oketch	22,033	1:2,096
324	Mose Italian (pronounced as two syllables): from the Biblical name Mose, Italian equivalent of Moses. This surname is widespread in northern Italy, and is especially common Trieste and Venetia. Catalan (Mosé): from Mossé, Catalan and Occitan (southern France) form of the Biblical name Moses. Danish: topographic name from mose ‘swamp’, ‘bog’.	21,996	1:2,099
325	Kithinji The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,835	1:2,115
326	Kathure The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,784	1:2,120
327	Gichuki	21,722	1:2,126
328	Oyugi	21,709	1:2,127
329	Chepchirchir The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,628	1:2,135
330	Tonui Tonui is a Kalenjin traditional name, this name is given by your father when you have undergone initiation. For example when a father was call Kiptonui before being initiated, the children will take part of his name, Tonui.	21,537	1:2,144
331	Mutethia The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,517	1:2,146
332	Muthomi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,510	1:2,147
333	Jemutai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,338	1:2,164
334	Safari Musafiri is a Swahili name given to a child born during a journey (safari)	21,319	1:2,166
335	Cheruto The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,220	1:2,176
336	Ekai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,218	1:2,176
337	Wangeci The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,160	1:2,182
338	Biwott The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,089	1:2,190
339	Tarus	21,061	1:2,193
340	Koskei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	21,059	1:2,193
341	Keter	20,946	1:2,205
342	Nyaboke The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,938	1:2,206
343	Muthee	20,861	1:2,214
344	Kamande	20,830	1:2,217
345	Masika	20,766	1:2,224
346	Khaemba The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,716	1:2,229
347	Njambi	20,700	1:2,231
348	Wangila The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,670	1:2,234
349	Jerop The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,639	1:2,238
350	Mogaka	20,595	1:2,242
351	Issak	20,547	1:2,248
352	Odera The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,544	1:2,248
353	Kitsao The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,509	1:2,252
354	Dahir	20,488	1:2,254
355	Jebet The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,456	1:2,258
356	Muthoka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,417	1:2,262
357	Haji	20,364	1:2,268
358	Muigai	20,358	1:2,268
359	Kanana The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,354	1:2,269
360	Ojwang	20,340	1:2,270
361	Waswa	20,273	1:2,278
362	Nzomo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,177	1:2,289
363	Munyoki	20,166	1:2,290
364	Osoro	20,142	1:2,293
365	Kemei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,115	1:2,296
366	Kombo	20,088	1:2,299
367	Hamisi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	20,043	1:2,304
368	Wanyoike	20,030	1:2,306
369	Chesang The meaning of this surname is not listed.	19,994	1:2,310
370	Mugendi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	19,992	1:2,310
371	Owiti	19,913	1:2,319
372	Jeruto The meaning of this surname is not listed.	19,792	1:2,333
373	Jepchumba The meaning of this surname is not listed.	19,694	1:2,345
374	Ronoh The meaning of this surname is not listed.	19,677	1:2,347
375	Yego	19,664	1:2,348
376	Baraka	19,543	1:2,363
377	Wahome	19,541	1:2,363
378	Ireri The meaning of this surname is not listed.	19,446	1:2,375
379	Ogola	19,430	1:2,377
380	Mbithe The meaning of this surname is not listed.	19,341	1:2,388
381	Aluoch	19,331	1:2,389
382	Salat	19,251	1:2,399
383	Nkirote The meaning of this surname is not listed.	19,095	1:2,418
384	Bii The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,986	1:2,432
385	Nyamai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,965	1:2,435
386	Musyimi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,947	1:2,437
387	Ndanu	18,878	1:2,446
388	Ismail Muslim: from an Arabic personal name, ’Isma?il, name of a Prophet (Biblical Ishmael), son of Ibrahim (Abraham). Ibrahim left his second wife Hajar (Hagar) and their small son Ismail in the wilderness outside Mecca with only a short supply of food and water. Allah took pity on them and caused the well of Zamzam to spurt up in that desolate place, which saved their lives. Later, Ibrahim sought out his son Ismail, and together they built the Ka‘ba in Mecca, towards which all Muslims turn when praying. Arabs believe that Ismail was the founder of the Arab peoples, and for this reason Arabs are sometimes referred to as Ishmaelites. The term Ismaeli is of much more recent origin; it refers to a sect of Shiite Muslims headed by the Aga Khan, who claim descent from the Fatimid dynasty that ruled Egypt and North Africa from 909 to 1171. They take their name from Isma?il al-?Siddiq (699–765), son of the sixth Shiite imam, because they believe that the divine spirit passed to him and not to his brother Musa.	18,821	1:2,454
389	Mbuthia	18,747	1:2,463
390	Muendo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,693	1:2,470
391	Ngure	18,597	1:2,483
392	Limo	18,578	1:2,486
393	Ochola	18,547	1:2,490
394	Moses Jewish; also Welsh and English: from the Biblical name borne by the Israelite leader who led the Israelites out of Egypt, as related in the Book of Exodus. The Hebrew form of the name, Moshe, is probably of Egyptian origin, from a short form of any of various ancient Egyptian personal names, such as Rameses and Tutmosis, meaning ‘conceived by (a certain god)’. However, very early in its history it acquired a folk etymology, being taken as a derivative of the Hebrew root verb mšh ‘draw (something from the water)’, and was associated with a story of the infant Moses being discovered among the bullrushes by Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2: 1–10). Moses is the usual English spelling. As a Welsh family name, it was adopted among Dissenter families in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a North American family name, it has absorbed forms of the name from other languages, for example Moise and Moshe.	18,538	1:2,491
395	Rop	18,510	1:2,495
396	Nyokabi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,509	1:2,495
397	Komen	18,477	1:2,499
398	Kihara Japanese, meaning ‘plain of the trees’; found in western Japan. Listed in the Shinsen shojiroku.	18,413	1:2,508
399	Mmbone The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,337	1:2,518
400	Mumbua The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,321	1:2,521
401	Murugi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,310	1:2,522
402	Boru The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,263	1:2,529
403	Ndinda The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,233	1:2,533
404	Sikuku The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,202	1:2,537
405	Muthama	18,157	1:2,543
406	Kiragu	18,147	1:2,545
407	Jepkosgei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,144	1:2,545
408	Mukiri	18,128	1:2,547
409	Alio	18,076	1:2,555
410	Wanjira The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,058	1:2,557
411	Mokua The meaning of this surname is not listed.	18,053	1:2,558
412	Opondo	18,010	1:2,564
413	Wario	17,858	1:2,586
414	Muinde	17,810	1:2,593
415	Suleiman Muslim: from the Arabic personal name Suleiman (see Solomon). Suleiman (Solomon) is regarded in Islam as a prophet (Qur’an 27:17). Suleiman the Magnificent (1498–1566) was a renowned khalif of the Ottoman Empire. This name is widespread throughout the Muslim world.	17,732	1:2,604
416	Orina	17,645	1:2,617
417	Khisa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	17,591	1:2,625
418	Ouko The meaning of this surname is not listed.	17,500	1:2,639
419	Jepkemboi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	17,429	1:2,650
420	Michael English, German, Dutch, and Jewish: from the personal name Michael, ultimately from Hebrew Micha-el ‘Who is like God?’. This was borne by various minor Biblical characters and by one of the archangels, the protector of Israel (Daniel 10:13, 12:1; Rev. 12:7). In Christian tradition, Michael was regarded as the warrior archangel, conqueror of Satan, and the personal name was correspondingly popular throughout Europe, especially in knightly and military families. In English-speaking countries, this surname is also found as an Anglicized form of several Greek surnames having Michael as their root, for example Papamichaelis ‘Michael the priest’ and patronymics such as Michaelopoulos.	17,397	1:2,654
421	Murage	17,321	1:2,666
422	Jerotich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	17,234	1:2,680
423	Kibe Japanese: habitational name from the village of Kibe in Omi (now Shiga prefecture), usually written with characters meaning ‘tree’ and ‘department’. A family descended from the Fujiwara directed the Buddhist temple there and took the name as their own. Indian (Maharashtra, Goa); pronounced as two syllables: Hindu (Brahman) name of unknown meaning, found among Saraswat Brahmans.	17,222	1:2,681
424	Gitari	17,201	1:2,685
425	Chepchumba The meaning of this surname is not listed.	17,150	1:2,693
426	Ndolo	17,107	1:2,699
427	Simon English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish (Simón), Czech and Slovak (Šimon), Slovenian, Hungarian, and Jewish (Ashkenazic): from the personal name, Hebrew Shim‘on, which is probably derived from the verb sham‘a ‘to hearken’. In the Vulgate and in many vernacular versions of the Old Testament, this is usually rendered Simeon. In the Greek New Testament, however, the name occurs as Simon, as a result of assimilation to the pre-existing Greek byname Simon (from simos ‘snub-nosed’). Both Simon and Simeon were in use as personal names in western Europe from the Middle Ages onward. In Christendom the former was always more popular, at least in part because of its associations with the apostle Simon Peter, the brother of Andrew. In Britain there was also confusion from an early date with Anglo-Scandinavian forms of Sigmund (see Siegmund), a name whose popularity was reinforced at the Conquest by the Norman form Simund.	17,082	1:2,703
428	Mugure The meaning of this surname is not listed.	17,077	1:2,704
429	Abdille	17,076	1:2,704
430	Abdallah Muslim: variant of Abdullah.	16,950	1:2,724
431	Odoyo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,946	1:2,725
432	Wawira The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,932	1:2,727
433	Kaingu Kaingu is a surname of the Senga tribe, meaning: leopard.	16,835	1:2,743
434	Ombati	16,780	1:2,752
435	Muhonja The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,709	1:2,764
436	Muriungi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,705	1:2,764
437	Kimeli The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,692	1:2,767
438	Stephen Scottish and English: from the personal name Stephen, variant spelling of Steven.	16,653	1:2,773
439	Nelima The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,622	1:2,778
440	Musili The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,574	1:2,786
441	Jepkorir The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,500	1:2,799
442	Deng Chinese : from the name of a state that existed during the Xia (2205–1766 bc) and Shang (1766–1122 bc) dynasties. At a much later date, descendants of the state’s rulers took the state name Deng as their surname. This was the family name of Deng Xiaoping (1904–97), effectively ruler of China from 1977 to his death twenty years later.	16,499	1:2,799
443	Toroitich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,464	1:2,805
444	Obonyo	16,395	1:2,817
445	Ndiritu	16,356	1:2,823
446	Omwenga	16,353	1:2,824
447	Bashir	16,340	1:2,826
448	Kalama	16,324	1:2,829
449	Sigei	16,267	1:2,839
450	Nabwire The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,239	1:2,844
451	Kurgat The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,222	1:2,847
452	Maritim The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,158	1:2,858
453	Okinyi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,103	1:2,868
454	Wamaitha The meaning of this surname is not listed.	16,066	1:2,874
455	Emmanuel Variant spelling (mainly French and South Indian) of Emanuel, which was used in the Middle Ages by Christians as an alternative name for Christ. The name was also borne by a 3rd-century martyr. Among Christians in India it is used as a given name, and in the U.S. it has come to be used as a last name among families from southern India.	15,981	1:2,890
456	Rashid Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic rashid ‘wise’, ‘judicious’, ‘rightly guided’, ‘right-minded’. Al-Rashid ‘the Right-Minded’ is an epithet of Allah (see the Qur’an 11:87). Rashid is used in combination with other words, e.g. ?Abd ur-Rashid ‘servant of the Right-Minded’. Harun ur-Rashid (786–809) was the most famous of the Abbasid khalifs. This name is widespread throughout the Muslim world.	15,957	1:2,894
457	Mbuvi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	15,918	1:2,901
458	Thuku	15,827	1:2,918
459	Sammy	15,794	1:2,924
460	Bahati	15,750	1:2,932
461	Obiero	15,743	1:2,933
462	Ndege	15,566	1:2,967
463	Koome The meaning of this surname is not listed.	15,550	1:2,970
464	Masai	15,523	1:2,975
465	Gacheri The meaning of this surname is not listed.	15,522	1:2,975
466	Charles French, Welsh, and English: from the French form of the Germanic personal name Carl ‘man’ (which was Latinized as Carolus). In France the personal name was popular from an early date, due to the fame of the Emperor Charlemagne (?742–814; Latin name Carolus Magnus, i.e. Charles the Great). The Old French form Charles was briefly introduced to England by the Normans, but was rare during the main period of surname formation. It was introduced more successfully to Scotland in the 16th century by the Stuarts, who had strong ties with France, and was brought by them to England in the 17th century. Its frequency as a Welsh surname is attributable to the late date of Welsh surname formation. Old English Ceorl ‘peasant’ is also found as a byname, but the resulting Middle English form, Charl, with a patronymic in -s, if it existed at all, would have been absorbed by the French form introduced by the Normans. Compare Carl. English variants pronounced with initial k- for the most part reflect the cognate Old Norse personal name Karl, Karli. Swedish: ornamental form of a Frenchified form of the Old Norse personal name Karl.	15,480	1:2,983
467	Nthenya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	15,475	1:2,984
468	Kinoti	15,458	1:2,987
469	Muteti The meaning of this surname is not listed.	15,344	1:3,010
470	Shikuku The meaning of this surname is not listed.	15,267	1:3,025
471	Francis English: from the personal name Francis (Old French form Franceis, Latin Franciscus, Italian Francisco). This was originally an ethnic name meaning ‘Frank’ and hence ‘Frenchman’. The personal name owed much of its popularity during the Middle Ages to the fame of St. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226), whose baptismal name was actually Giovanni but who was nicknamed Francisco because his father was absent in France at the time of his birth. As an American family name this has absorbed cognates from several other European languages (for forms, see Hanks and Hodges 1988). Jewish (American): an Americanization of one or more like-sounding Jewish surnames, or an adoption of the non-Jewish surname.	15,240	1:3,030
472	Mwanza	15,183	1:3,042
473	Omolo	15,061	1:3,066
474	Nzuki The meaning of this surname is not listed.	15,038	1:3,071
475	Mutegi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	15,012	1:3,076
476	Kiptanui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,939	1:3,091
477	Nzioki The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,922	1:3,095
478	Ayuma The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,875	1:3,105
479	Masha	14,858	1:3,108
480	Chumba Chumba is a surname of the Senga tribe, meaning: a child that is born of a barren woman.	14,808	1:3,119
481	Jillo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,798	1:3,121
482	Nduati	14,774	1:3,126
483	Kitheka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,763	1:3,128
484	Jerono The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,758	1:3,129
485	Wayua The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,727	1:3,136
486	Mureithi	14,708	1:3,140
487	Ewoi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,607	1:3,161
488	Muthini The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,549	1:3,174
489	Khalif	14,541	1:3,176
490	Sila The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,538	1:3,176
491	Mwihaki The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,495	1:3,186
492	Maroa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,479	1:3,189
493	Ekiru The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,465	1:3,193
494	Jelimo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,389	1:3,209
495	Ngina The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,246	1:3,242
496	Ojiambo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,221	1:3,247
497	Chengo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,207	1:3,251
498	Kagendo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,191	1:3,254
499	Gichuhi	14,179	1:3,257
500	Matheka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,168	1:3,259

Rank The surname's ranking is determined by its frequency of occurrence	Surname	Incidence The number of people who share the same surname	Frequency The ratio of people who share the same surname
1	Mulei	14,156	1:3,262
2	Kangogo	14,154	1:3,263
3	Brian Irish and English: variant spelling of Bryan. French and English: from the Celtic personal name Brian, which contains the element bre- ‘hill’, with the transferred sense ‘eminence’. See also Bryan. French: nickname from Old Occitan brian ‘maggot’.	14,138	1:3,266
4	George English, Welsh, French, South Indian, etc.: from the personal name George, Greek Georgios, from an adjectival form, georgios ‘rustic’, of georgos ‘farmer’. This became established as a personal name in classical times through its association with the fashion for pastoral poetry. Its popularity in western Europe increased at the time of the Crusades, which brought greater contact with the Orthodox Church, in which several saints and martyrs of this name are venerated, in particular a saint believed to have been martyred at Nicomedia in ad 303, who, however, is at best a shadowy figure historically. Nevertheless, by the end of the Middle Ages St. George had become associated with an unhistorical legend of dragon-slaying exploits, which caught the popular imagination throughout Europe, and he came to be considered the patron saint of England among other places. As an American family name, this has absorbed cognates from other European languages, including German Georg and Greek patronymics such as Georgiou, Georgiadis, Georgopoulos, and the status name Papageorgiou ‘priest George’. In English-speaking countries, this surname is also found as an Anglicized form of Greek surnames such as Hatzigeorgiou ‘George the Pilgrim’ and patronymics such as Giorgopoulos ‘son of George’. It is used as a given name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. has come to be used as a surname among families from southern India.	14,124	1:3,270
5	Mulongo	14,096	1:3,276
6	Murigi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,005	1:3,297
7	Kiptum The meaning of this surname is not listed.	14,004	1:3,298
8	Kipyego The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,999	1:3,299
9	Ndambuki	13,980	1:3,303
10	Kandie	13,963	1:3,307
11	Muasya	13,955	1:3,309
12	Warui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,945	1:3,312
13	Kipkogei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,875	1:3,328
14	Chebii The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,853	1:3,334
15	Kombe	13,836	1:3,338
16	Jepleting The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,819	1:3,342
17	Adow	13,760	1:3,356
18	Ngatia	13,751	1:3,358
19	Musungu Musungu is a surname of the Bemba tribe, meaning: a white person.	13,727	1:3,364
20	Njihia The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,723	1:3,365
21	Nyakio The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,722	1:3,365
22	Murunga The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,587	1:3,399
23	Amondi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,554	1:3,407
24	Wamuyu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,514	1:3,417
25	Abdikadir	13,503	1:3,420
26	Muindi	13,500	1:3,421
27	Mwalimu Mwalimu is a surname of the Bemba tribe, meaning: a heavenly spirit.	13,470	1:3,428
28	Chelagat The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,447	1:3,434
29	Mutemi	13,436	1:3,437
30	Thomas English, French, German, Dutch, Danish, and South Indian: from the medieval personal name, of Biblical origin, from Aramaic t’om’a, a byname meaning ‘twin’. It was borne by one of the disciples of Christ, best known for his scepticism about Christ’s resurrection (John 20:24–29). The th- spelling is organic, the initial letter of the name in the Greek New Testament being a theta. The English pronunciation as t rather than th- is the result of French influence from an early date. In Britain the surname is widely distributed throughout the country, but especially common in Wales and Cornwall. The Ukrainian form is Choma. It is found as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. is used as a family name among families from southern India.	13,436	1:3,437
31	Ndwiga	13,370	1:3,454
32	Serem The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,358	1:3,457
33	Athman	13,333	1:3,464
34	Yusuf Muslim: see Youssef.	13,330	1:3,464
35	Mong'are	13,296	1:3,473
36	Kimanthi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,270	1:3,480
37	Nyang'au	13,267	1:3,481
38	Adongo	13,138	1:3,515
39	Mulinge The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,101	1:3,525
40	Muya	13,070	1:3,533
41	Chemtai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	13,056	1:3,537
42	Nyamweya	12,993	1:3,554
43	Syombua The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,946	1:3,567
44	Kalume	12,926	1:3,573
45	Miriti The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,904	1:3,579
46	Mahat	12,900	1:3,580
47	Bwire The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,895	1:3,581
48	Kamene The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,766	1:3,617
49	Wanza	12,662	1:3,647
50	Muchui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,654	1:3,649
51	Muoki The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,626	1:3,658
52	Ndichu	12,616	1:3,660
53	Yator The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,595	1:3,667
54	Kimaiyo	12,589	1:3,668
55	Ndunda The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,576	1:3,672
56	Gikonyo	12,552	1:3,679
57	Bosibori The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,544	1:3,681
58	Mwania The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,490	1:3,697
59	Muthuri The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,461	1:3,706
60	Ogolla The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,433	1:3,714
61	Thuranira The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,420	1:3,718
62	Musimbi Musimbi is a surname of the Tonga tribe, meaning: lass.	12,402	1:3,724
63	Wabwire	12,325	1:3,747
64	Nyaguthii The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,302	1:3,754
65	Munywoki The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,269	1:3,764
66	Muhia	12,268	1:3,764
67	Kadenge The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,176	1:3,793
68	Thoya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,165	1:3,796
69	Keya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,153	1:3,800
70	Okech The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,129	1:3,807
71	Kiio The meaning of this surname is not listed.	12,103	1:3,816
72	Mongare	12,038	1:3,836
73	Mwongeli The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,878	1:3,888
74	Ongeri	11,875	1:3,889
75	Onsongo	11,870	1:3,890
76	Kennedy Irish and Scottish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceannéidigh ‘descendant of Ceannéidigh’, a personal name derived from ceann ‘head’ + éidigh ‘ugly’.	11,842	1:3,900
77	Mbatha The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,804	1:3,912
78	Joshua Jewish and Gentile (from northern Europe to South India): from the Biblical name, Hebrew Yehoshuah, meaning ‘may Jehovah help him’. It was borne by the Israelite leader who took command of the children of Israel after the death of Moses and led them to take possession of the promised land. In Britain this was a popular name among Nonconformists from the 17th century onward; as a result, it is a typically Welsh surname, since Welsh surnames were comparatively late in formation. It is also used as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. has come to be used as a family name among families from southern India.	11,799	1:3,914
79	Nyangau	11,726	1:3,938
80	Githaiga	11,717	1:3,941
81	Maithya	11,703	1:3,946
82	Edin French: from a pet form of the Germanic personal name Edhard.	11,626	1:3,972
83	Kanyi	11,593	1:3,983
84	Kogo	11,548	1:3,999
85	Muchoki	11,518	1:4,009
86	Maloba	11,480	1:4,023
87	Isaac Jewish, English, Welsh, French, etc.: from the Biblical Hebrew personal name yishaq ‘he laughs’. This was the name of the son of Abraham (Genesis 21:3) by his wife Sarah. The traditional explanation of the name is that Abraham and Sarah laughed with joy at the birth of a son to them in their old age, but a more plausible explanation is that the name originally meant ‘may God laugh’, i.e. ‘smile on him’. Like Abraham, this name has always been immensely popular among Jews, but was also widely used in medieval Europe among Christians. Hence it is the surname of many gentile families as well as Jews. In England and Wales it was one of the Old Testament names that were particularly popular among Nonconformists in the 17th–19th centuries, which accounts for its frequency as a Welsh surname. (Welsh surnames were generally formed much later than English ones.) In eastern Europe the personal name in its various vernacular forms was popular in Orthodox (Russian, Ukrainian, and Bulgarian), Catholic (Polish), and Protestant (Czech) Churches. It was borne by a 5th-century father of the Armenian Church and by a Spanish saint martyred by the Moorish rulers of Cordoba in ad 851 on account of his polemics against Islam. In this spelling, the American family name has also absorbed cognates from other European languages, e.g. German Isaak, Dutch Izaac, etc. (for the forms, see Hanks and Hodges 1988). It is found as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. is used as a family name among families from southern India.	11,398	1:4,052
88	Kimotho	11,392	1:4,054
89	Ndiema The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,378	1:4,059
90	Muuo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,366	1:4,063
91	Etyang The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,349	1:4,069
92	Kipkemei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,308	1:4,084
93	Ngui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,306	1:4,085
94	Julius From the Latin personal name Julius, an aristocratic Roman family name made famous by Julius Caesar, the first Roman emperor. The personal name was borne in the Middle Ages by various minor Christian saints, and was nearly as popular as its derivative Julian. As a modern surname it is found in various European languages, generally as a humanistic name or a re-Latinization of a vernacular form such as French Jules.	11,304	1:4,085
95	Njuki	11,291	1:4,090
96	Kipleting The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,281	1:4,094
97	Wabwile The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,234	1:4,111
98	Jepkirui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,174	1:4,133
99	Sakwa	11,169	1:4,135
100	Kananu	11,107	1:4,158
101	Masila The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,093	1:4,163
102	Marwa	11,053	1:4,178
103	Mutindi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	11,021	1:4,190
104	Kundu	11,011	1:4,194
105	Amina	10,993	1:4,201
106	Kang'ethe	10,984	1:4,204
107	Mwaka	10,983	1:4,205
108	Onyancha The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,968	1:4,210
109	Galgallo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,952	1:4,217
110	Kaburu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,908	1:4,234
111	Godana	10,833	1:4,263
112	Kilonzi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,826	1:4,266
113	Bare	10,825	1:4,266
114	Muchai	10,792	1:4,279
115	Wasonga	10,759	1:4,292
116	Naibei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,731	1:4,303
117	Ngumbao The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,721	1:4,307
118	Kiboi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,699	1:4,316
119	Koros	10,697	1:4,317
120	Rioba The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,680	1:4,324
121	Philip Scottish, Dutch, English, South Indian, etc.: from the Greek name Philippos (from philein ‘to love’ + hippos ‘horse’). In the New Testament this name is borne by one of the apostles; it was also borne by various other early Christian saints. It owes part of its popularity to the medieval romances about Alexander the Great, whose father was Philip of Macedon. As a Highland Scottish surname, it represents an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Fhilib ‘son of Philip’. In North America, this surname has absorbed some cases of cognate names in other languages (e.g. French Philippe, Greek Philippos, Italian Filippi, Spanish Felipe, Catalan Felip, and their derivatives). As a Jewish name, it represents a borrowing of the personal name from Christians. It is found as a personal name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. is used as a family name among families from southern India.	10,637	1:4,341
122	Nyambane The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,636	1:4,342
123	Muthiani The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,634	1:4,343
124	Ngunjiri	10,613	1:4,351
125	King'ori	10,594	1:4,359
126	Ndiwa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,588	1:4,362
127	Wangare The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,586	1:4,362
128	Esekon The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,579	1:4,365
129	Kivuva The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,572	1:4,368
130	Kobia The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,571	1:4,369
131	Akumu	10,569	1:4,369
132	Ramadhan	10,518	1:4,391
133	Esinyen The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,503	1:4,397
134	Apiyo	10,490	1:4,402
135	Kasyoka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,473	1:4,409
136	Wako	10,442	1:4,423
137	Situma The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,418	1:4,433
138	Kadzo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,412	1:4,435
139	Mbula	10,403	1:4,439
140	Gichuru	10,398	1:4,441
141	Oyoo	10,383	1:4,448
142	William English: from the Norman form of an Old French personal name composed of the Germanic elements wil ‘will’, ‘desire’ + helm ‘helmet’, ‘protection’. This was introduced into England at the time of the Conquest, and within a very short period it became the most popular personal name in England, mainly no doubt in honor of the Conqueror himself.	10,374	1:4,452
143	Gitahi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,372	1:4,452
144	Nyamawi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,336	1:4,468
145	Kibor The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,321	1:4,474
146	Nzau	10,317	1:4,476
147	Wawire The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,300	1:4,483
148	Ngei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,295	1:4,486
149	Cheboi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,243	1:4,508
150	Kagwiria The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,238	1:4,511
151	Okelo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,235	1:4,512
152	Jimale	10,204	1:4,526
153	Moseti	10,181	1:4,536
154	Patrick Scottish and Irish: reduced Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Phádraig ‘son of Patrick’, a personal name derived from Latin Patricius ‘son of a noble father’, ‘member of the patrician class’. This was the name of a 5th-century Romano-Briton who became the apostle and patron saint of Ireland, and it was largely as a result of his fame that the personal name was so popular from the Middle Ages onward. In Ireland the surname is usually Scottish in origin, but it is also found as a shortened form of Mulpatrick and Fitzpatrick.	10,173	1:4,539
155	Martin English, Scottish, Irish, French, Dutch, German, Czech, Slovak, Spanish (Martín), Italian (Venice), etc.: from a personal name (Latin Martinus, a derivative of Mars, genitive Martis, the Roman god of fertility and war, whose name may derive ultimately from a root mar ‘gleam’). This was borne by a famous 4th-century saint, Martin of Tours, and consequently became extremely popular throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. As a North American surname, this form has absorbed many cognates from other European forms. English: habitational name from any of several places so called, principally in Hampshire, Lincolnshire, and Worcestershire, named in Old English as ‘settlement by a lake’ (from mere or mær ‘pool’, ‘lake’ + tun ‘settlement’) or as ‘settlement by a boundary’ (from (ge)mære ‘boundary’ + tun ‘settlement’). The place name has been charged from Marton under the influence of the personal name Martin.	10,116	1:4,565
156	Kitur The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,099	1:4,573
157	Ogeto The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,085	1:4,579
158	Kiiru	10,072	1:4,585
159	Ogega	10,068	1:4,587
160	Khamis	10,059	1:4,591
161	Mawira The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,032	1:4,603
162	Jepngetich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	10,026	1:4,606
163	Nur	10,004	1:4,616
164	Boke The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,971	1:4,631
165	Maundu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,964	1:4,635
166	Tuwei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,964	1:4,635
167	Nyangweso	9,955	1:4,639
168	Wakhungu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,902	1:4,664
169	Kungu	9,897	1:4,666
170	Wanjau	9,861	1:4,683
171	Ekal The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,849	1:4,689
172	Lumumba	9,839	1:4,694
173	Sitienei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,831	1:4,697
174	Muraya	9,808	1:4,708
175	Kiilu	9,771	1:4,726
176	Nyamu	9,719	1:4,752
177	Orwa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,714	1:4,754
178	Waruguru The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,711	1:4,755
179	Kimaru	9,709	1:4,756
180	Fondo	9,701	1:4,760
181	Muktar	9,688	1:4,767
182	Kangethe	9,641	1:4,790
183	Jepkogei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,617	1:4,802
184	Nasambu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,578	1:4,821
185	Ekeno The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,544	1:4,839
186	Ngige	9,541	1:4,840
187	Obuya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,513	1:4,854
188	Okemwa	9,471	1:4,876
189	Robert English, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian (Róbert), etc: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements hrod ‘renown’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’. This is found occasionally in England before the Conquest, but in the main it was introduced into England by the Normans and quickly became popular among all classes of society. The surname is also occasionally borne by Jews, as an Americanized form of one or more like-sounding Jewish surnames.	9,445	1:4,889
190	Robi	9,433	1:4,896
191	Matano	9,406	1:4,910
192	Mwongela The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,374	1:4,926
193	Mutia	9,373	1:4,927
194	Chumo	9,347	1:4,941
195	Karambu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,346	1:4,941
196	Munyi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,337	1:4,946
197	Sitati The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,322	1:4,954
198	Samson Scottish, English, Welsh, French, German, Dutch, Hungarian (Sámson), and Jewish: from the Biblical name Samson (Hebrew Shimshon, a diminutive of shemesh ‘sun’). Among Christians it was sometimes chosen as a personal name or nickname with reference to the great strength of the Biblical hero (Judges 13–16). In Wales another association was with the 6th-century Welsh bishop Samson, who traveled to Brittany, where he died and was greatly venerated. His name, which is probably an altered form of an unknown Celtic original, was popularized in England by Breton followers of William the Conqueror, and to some extent independently from Wales.	9,317	1:4,957
199	Jacob Jewish, English, German, Portuguese, French, Dutch, and southern Indian: derivative, via Latin Jacobus, from the Hebrew personal name ya‘aqobh (Yaakov). In the Bible, this is the name of the younger twin brother of Esau (Genesis 25:26), who took advantage of the latter’s hunger and impetuousness to persuade him to part with his birthright ‘for a mess of potage’. The name is traditionally interpreted as coming from Hebrew akev ‘heel’, and Jacob is said to have been born holding on to Esau’s heel. In English Jacob and James are now regarded as quite distinct names, but they are of identical origin (see James), and in most European languages the two names are not distinguished. It is used as a given name among Christians in India, and in the U.S. has come to be used as a surname among families from southern India.	9,294	1:4,969
200	Gacheru The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,287	1:4,973
201	Cherutich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,243	1:4,996
202	Abubakar	9,227	1:5,005
203	Chepkemboi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,217	1:5,010
204	Abuga The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,216	1:5,011
205	Mangale The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,205	1:5,017
206	Muthike The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,188	1:5,026
207	Jackson English, Scottish, and northern Irish: patronymic from Jack 1. As an American surname this has absorbed other patronymics beginning with J- in various European languages.	9,185	1:5,028
208	Mahamud	9,182	1:5,029
209	Mawia	9,180	1:5,030
210	Kimtai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,174	1:5,034
211	Nyagaka	9,155	1:5,044
212	Wambura	9,154	1:5,045
213	Odira The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,139	1:5,053
214	Khamisi	9,131	1:5,057
215	Kurui	9,124	1:5,061
216	Murangiri The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,046	1:5,105
217	Kairu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,044	1:5,106
218	Omwoyo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	9,004	1:5,129
219	Mbae	9,002	1:5,130
220	Lelei	8,985	1:5,140
221	Issa Arabic (mainly Lebanon and Syria): from the personal name ?Isa, Arabic form of Hebrew Yeshua, Greek Iesous (see Jesus). This name is born by both Christian and Muslim Arabs. In Islam ?Isa is a prophet, ‘a messenger of Allah and his word’ (Qur’an 4:171). In the Qur’an 19:30, he proclaims, ‘He (Allah) has given me the Book and established me as a Prophet.’	8,968	1:5,149
222	Kung'u	8,931	1:5,171
223	Samoei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,918	1:5,178
224	Obare The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,912	1:5,182
225	Theuri	8,890	1:5,195
226	Samwel	8,879	1:5,201
227	Wanga	8,873	1:5,205
228	Roba	8,845	1:5,221
229	Soita The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,802	1:5,247
230	Mbaabu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,785	1:5,257
231	Mwero The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,782	1:5,258
232	Ogada	8,777	1:5,261
233	Lewa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,770	1:5,266
234	Kingori	8,742	1:5,283
235	Obara Japanese: from a common place name meaning ‘small plain’. Some bearers are descended from the Sasaki or Takeda families. Polish: nickname for an indecisive person, from obarac sie ‘to hesitate or waver’.	8,738	1:5,285
236	Mutanu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,736	1:5,286
237	Sawe The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,736	1:5,286
238	Murungi	8,732	1:5,289
239	Awinja The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,719	1:5,296
240	Nthiga The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,717	1:5,298
241	Siele	8,712	1:5,301
242	Baraza	8,706	1:5,304
243	Nzai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,691	1:5,314
244	Mogire	8,685	1:5,317
245	Mwinzi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,629	1:5,352
246	Maluki The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,623	1:5,355
247	Muthengi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,586	1:5,379
248	Bor Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): habitational name from the village of Bor in Belarus. Dutch: variant of Boer.	8,579	1:5,383
249	Galgalo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,564	1:5,392
250	Mbiti The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,563	1:5,393
251	Mauti	8,560	1:5,395
252	Oginga The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,559	1:5,395
253	Dida The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,554	1:5,399
254	Nzilani The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,541	1:5,407
255	Micheni The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,533	1:5,412
256	Mitei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,525	1:5,417
257	Munyua	8,523	1:5,418
258	Ogweno The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,486	1:5,442
259	Terer The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,472	1:5,451
260	Nafula The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,456	1:5,461
261	Titus from the personal name (Latin Titus, probably Etruscan in origin). The name was popular in the Middle Ages since it had been borne by a disciple of St. Paul who became bishop of Crete. from a short form of a Germanic personal name (see Tittel 2).	8,453	1:5,463
262	Ekitela The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,447	1:5,467
263	Ambani	8,410	1:5,491
264	Amoit	8,390	1:5,504
265	Halake The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,375	1:5,514
266	Naserian The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,324	1:5,548
267	Cheyech The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,316	1:5,553
268	Mumbe The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,300	1:5,564
269	Gati	8,287	1:5,573
270	Maweu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,259	1:5,591
271	Karuga	8,256	1:5,593
272	Ndoro	8,235	1:5,608
273	Ruwa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,235	1:5,608
274	Mwadime The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,230	1:5,611
275	Duba Hungarian: from the old secular Hungarian personal names Duba, or Doba, pet forms of Dub or Dob. Possibly French, a variant of French Dubeau.	8,218	1:5,619
276	Kageha The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,204	1:5,629
277	Muga	8,203	1:5,630
278	Krop	8,194	1:5,636
279	Daud	8,187	1:5,641
280	Nyanchama The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,184	1:5,643
281	Muchira The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,175	1:5,649
282	Akello A Lou surname that originates from the name of a male ancestor, Okello or Akello. The ancestor was so named as he was a child born after the birt of twins. Lou personal names were given based on a circumstance of birth.	8,161	1:5,659
283	Emuria The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,141	1:5,673
284	Chesire	8,133	1:5,678
285	Musee The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,121	1:5,686
286	Njoka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,107	1:5,696
287	Ondiek The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,100	1:5,701
288	Anyona	8,098	1:5,703
289	Zawadi	8,096	1:5,704
290	Huka The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,089	1:5,709
291	Mahamed	8,081	1:5,715
292	Yakub	8,070	1:5,722
293	Kaberia The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,050	1:5,737
294	Kisilu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,041	1:5,743
295	Thiong'o	8,032	1:5,749
296	Busienei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,029	1:5,752
297	Wavinya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	8,023	1:5,756
298	Mwinyi	8,014	1:5,762
299	Ombui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,973	1:5,792
300	Mukundi	7,959	1:5,802
301	Hillow	7,938	1:5,818
302	Keitany The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,931	1:5,823
303	Chomba	7,915	1:5,834
304	Bulle	7,904	1:5,843
305	Mwema	7,899	1:5,846
306	Karuri The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,898	1:5,847
307	Mwathi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,875	1:5,864
308	Soi	7,864	1:5,872
309	Evans Welsh: patronymic from the personal name Iefan (see Evan), with redundant English patronymic -s.	7,805	1:5,917
310	Imali The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,803	1:5,918
311	Migwi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,774	1:5,940
312	Ratemo	7,766	1:5,946
313	Mutio The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,749	1:5,959
314	Alex From a short form of Alexis or Alexander in any of several languages.	7,748	1:5,960
315	Misiko The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,739	1:5,967
316	Oyaro The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,714	1:5,987
317	Abdulla Muslim: see Abdullah.	7,709	1:5,990
318	Benson English: patronymic from the medieval personal name Benne, a pet form of Benedict (see Benn). English: habitational name from a place in Oxfordshire named Benson, from Old English Benesingtun ‘settlement (Old English tun) associated with Benesa’, a personal name of obscure origin, perhaps a derivative of Bana meaning ‘slayer’. Jewish (Ashkenazic): patronymic composed of a pet form of the personal name Beniamin (see Bien, Benjamin) + German Sohn ‘son’. Scandinavian: altered form of such names as Bengtsson, Bendtsen, patronymics from Bengt, Bendt, etc., Scandinavian forms of Benedict.	7,707	1:5,992
319	Kithome The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,707	1:5,992
320	Mwamburi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,702	1:5,996
321	Ngome The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,699	1:5,998
322	Ayieko The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,698	1:5,999
323	Okuku The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,698	1:5,999
324	Richard English, French, German, and Dutch: from a Germanic personal name composed of the elements ric ‘power(ful)’ + hard ‘hardy’, ‘brave’, ‘strong’.	7,687	1:6,008
325	Eyanae The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,674	1:6,018
326	Kabiru	7,652	1:6,035
327	Gichohi	7,646	1:6,040
328	Nyabuti The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,641	1:6,044
329	Abdow	7,638	1:6,046
330	Joel English: variant of Jewell. French, German, and English: from the Biblical personal name Joel.	7,638	1:6,046
331	Kitonga	7,626	1:6,056
332	Nyale The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,621	1:6,060
333	Towett The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,619	1:6,061
334	Mati	7,615	1:6,064
335	Ekidor The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,610	1:6,068
336	Mutahi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,606	1:6,072
337	Mmboga The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,593	1:6,082
338	Oduori	7,566	1:6,104
339	Changawa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,564	1:6,105
340	Nyangaresi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,561	1:6,108
341	Maranga	7,542	1:6,123
342	Kalekye The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,531	1:6,132
343	Wanje The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,526	1:6,136
344	Kiama	7,522	1:6,139
345	Muimi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,517	1:6,143
346	Gicheru The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,479	1:6,175
347	Salah	7,478	1:6,175
348	Eregae The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,468	1:6,184
349	Jarso The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,464	1:6,187
350	Sande Norwegian: habitational name from any of forty or more farmsteads so named, especially on the west coast, from the dative case of Old Norse sandr ‘sand’, ‘sandy plain’, ‘beach’. German: variant of Sand.	7,450	1:6,199
351	Kakai The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,445	1:6,203
352	Swaleh	7,389	1:6,250
353	Chenangat The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,384	1:6,254
354	Ngao	7,359	1:6,275
355	Nyambu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,352	1:6,281
356	Onditi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,330	1:6,300
357	Bonaya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,315	1:6,313
358	Nandwa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,312	1:6,316
359	Chebon	7,295	1:6,330
360	Mwakio The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,289	1:6,336
361	Mnangat The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,202	1:6,412
362	Lemayian The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,201	1:6,413
363	Erupe The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,188	1:6,425
364	Rugut The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,184	1:6,428
365	Mule English: from a medieval personal name, perhaps Old English Mul (from Old English mul ‘mule’, ‘halfbreed’). This was the name of a brother of Ceadwalla, King of Wessex (died 675), and is also found as a place name element. However, it may not have survived to the Conquest, and Domesday Book Mule, Mulo may instead represent Old Norse Muli, which is probably from Old Norse muli ‘muzzle’, ‘snout’. English: nickname for a stubborn person or metonymic occupational name for a driver of pack animals, from Middle English mule ‘mule’ (Old English mul, reinforced by Old French mule, both from Latin mula ‘she-mule’). English: from the medieval female personal name Mulle, variant of Molle, a pet form of Mary (see Marie). French: nickname from mule ‘mule’ (see 2). Dutch: nickname for a gossip or someone with a large mouth, from Middle Dutch mule ‘mouth’, ‘snout’. Dutch: metonymic occupational name for a maker of slippers, from Middle Dutch mule ‘slipper’. Italian (also Mulé): from the medieval nickname Mulé, Molé, from Arabic mawla ‘gentleman’, ‘lord’, ‘master’, m(a)uley ‘my lord’. Sicilian and southern Italian: status name, from Arabic mawla ‘master’, ‘owner’.	7,182	1:6,430
366	Gona	7,169	1:6,442
367	Maitha The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,163	1:6,447
368	Gachoki The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,158	1:6,452
369	Musila The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,157	1:6,452
370	Odinga The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,147	1:6,461
371	Dennis English: from the medieval personal name Den(n)is (Latin Dionysius, Greek Dionysios ‘(follower) of Dionysos’, an eastern god introduced to the classical pantheon at a relatively late date and bearing a name of probably Semitic origin). The name was borne by various early saints, including St Denis, the martyred 3rd-century bishop of Paris who became the patron of France; the popularity of the name in England from the 12th century onwards seems to have been largely due to French influence. The feminine form Dionysia (in the vernacular likewise Den(n)is) is also found, and some examples of the surname may represent a metronymic form. English: variant of Dench. Irish (mainly Dublin and Cork): of the same origin as 1 and 2, sometimes an alternative form to Donohue but more often to MacDonough, since the personal name Donnchadh was Anglicized as Donough or Denis. Irish (Ulster and Munster): Anglicized form of the rare Gaelic name Ó Donnghusa ‘descendant of Donnghus’, a personal name from donn ‘brown-haired man’ or ‘chieftain’ + gus ‘vigor’.	7,133	1:6,474
372	Gichana	7,132	1:6,475
373	Chai Chinese : from the name of Gao Chai, a disciple of Confucius during the Spring and Autumn period (722–481 bc). His descendants adopted this character as their surname; it also means ‘firewood’. Korean: variant of Chae.	7,105	1:6,500
374	Muhoro	7,105	1:6,500
375	Jama Muslim: from a derivative of Arabic jami? ‘author’, ‘writer’ (literally ‘gatherer’). Nur-ud-Din Abdur Rahman Jami? (1414–92) was a Persian Sufi poet.	7,095	1:6,509
376	Nakhumicha The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,093	1:6,511
377	Jemeli The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,091	1:6,512
378	Mundia Mundia is a surname of the Lozi tribe, meaning: one who deserts us.	7,087	1:6,516
379	Junior Portuguese (Júnior): from a personal name, from Latin junior, comparative of juvenis ‘young’. In some cases this may be a translation of for example German Jung(er).	7,065	1:6,536
380	Wamboi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,062	1:6,539
381	Vaati The meaning of this surname is not listed.	7,054	1:6,547
382	Fundi	7,042	1:6,558
383	Menza Italian: from a feminine form of Menzo, from Sicilian menzo ‘middle’, possibly in the sense ‘middle son’, presumably applied to the older of twin boys who have an older brother, or possibly a nickname for someone of small stature, from the same word in the sense ‘half’.	7,028	1:6,571
384	Muchemi	7,016	1:6,582
385	Victor French: from a medieval personal name (Latin Victor meaning ‘conqueror’, an agent derivative of vincere ‘to win’). Early Christians often bore this name in reference to Christ’s victory over sin and death, and there are a large number of saints so called. Some of the principal ones, who contributed to the popularity of the personal name in the Middle Ages, are a 2nd-century pope, a 3rd-century Mauritanian martyr, and a 5th-century bishop of Cologne.	7,009	1:6,589
386	Kituku The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,992	1:6,605
387	Kiogora The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,978	1:6,618
388	Makungu	6,956	1:6,639
389	Pkemoi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,943	1:6,651
390	Jumba	6,921	1:6,672
391	Wechuli The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,906	1:6,687
392	Moturi	6,897	1:6,696
393	Kajuju The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,889	1:6,703
394	Mayaka	6,883	1:6,709
395	Yatich The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,859	1:6,733
396	Mbaka	6,858	1:6,734
397	Kibiwott The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,849	1:6,743
398	Mucheru	6,846	1:6,746
399	Gure	6,845	1:6,747
400	Ngaruiya	6,841	1:6,750
401	Okongo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,831	1:6,760
402	Munguti The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,827	1:6,764
403	Ngotho	6,827	1:6,764
404	Mamo Ethiopian: unexplained. Italian and Maltese: unexplained. possibly Catalan (Mamó): variant spelling of Maimó (from Arab Maymun ‘son of the fortunate one’), used in the Middle Ages to refer to unknown Muslims.	6,825	1:6,766
405	Muthami	6,810	1:6,781
406	Benard The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,806	1:6,785
407	Ondari The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,800	1:6,791
408	Otiende	6,795	1:6,796
409	Mzungu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,793	1:6,798
410	Ombasa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,775	1:6,816
411	Kimosop The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,763	1:6,828
412	Jelagat The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,757	1:6,834
413	Muchangi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,757	1:6,834
414	Aloo	6,748	1:6,843
415	Abdiaziz The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,745	1:6,847
416	Andrew English and Scottish: from the usual vernacular English form (recorded from the 13th century onward) of the New Testament Greek personal name Andreas.	6,734	1:6,858
417	Gedi	6,734	1:6,858
418	Matara	6,733	1:6,859
419	Kelvin	6,696	1:6,897
420	Mwendia The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,696	1:6,897
421	Karwitha The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,655	1:6,939
422	Apondi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,638	1:6,957
423	Barongo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,637	1:6,958
424	Chepkwemoi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,636	1:6,959
425	Mukoya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,634	1:6,961
426	Minayo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,625	1:6,971
427	Masese Masese is a surname of the Bemba tribe, meaning: maize chaff.	6,624	1:6,972
428	Ziro The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,618	1:6,978
429	Kwemoi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,610	1:6,986
430	Wakio The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,591	1:7,007
431	Munyiva The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,588	1:7,010
432	Saidi Muslim: adjectival derivative of Sayed.	6,586	1:7,012
433	Chepkosgei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,579	1:7,019
434	Yaa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,568	1:7,031
435	Achola The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,566	1:7,033
436	Mambo	6,562	1:7,037
437	Jelle English, Scottish, and northern Irish: probably a variant of Jelley. German and Frisian: from a Germanic personal name composed with gelt-, cognate with the verb gelten ‘sacrifice’, ‘repay’. Norwegian: unexplained.	6,538	1:7,063
438	Tirop The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,537	1:7,064
439	Mbui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,533	1:7,069
440	Komora	6,526	1:7,076
441	Abdifatah The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,525	1:7,077
442	Mageto	6,523	1:7,080
443	Kamathi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,522	1:7,081
444	Kanja	6,522	1:7,081
445	Gathogo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,501	1:7,104
446	Mutune The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,501	1:7,104
447	Wabomba The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,490	1:7,116
448	Kiptui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,487	1:7,119
449	Gatimu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,477	1:7,130
450	Jomo	6,477	1:7,130
451	Meli patronymic or plural form of the personal name Melo, a short form of Carmelo or some other personal name ending in -melo. from a medieval Greek personal name, Melis, or an affectionate nickname from Sicilian meli ‘honey’.	6,470	1:7,138
452	Dagane The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,466	1:7,142
453	Mutungi	6,452	1:7,157
454	Mumba	6,440	1:7,171
455	Weru The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,438	1:7,173
456	Kabui The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,416	1:7,198
457	Kaimenyi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,416	1:7,198
458	Kimemia The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,410	1:7,204
459	Musya The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,404	1:7,211
460	Jepkemei The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,389	1:7,228
461	Saina The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,381	1:7,237
462	Kaloki The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,380	1:7,238
463	Elijah Welsh, Jewish, and American: from the personal name Elijah, the usual English transliteration in the King James Bible (Old Testament) of the Hebrew name Eliyahu ‘Jehovah is God’, name of one of the Biblical prophets (see Elias). As a Welsh surname, this is a comparatively late adoption of the personal name, adopted after Old Testament given names became popular among Nonconformists.	6,370	1:7,250
464	Kibiwot The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,369	1:7,251
465	Kiti The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,358	1:7,263
466	Nzisa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,350	1:7,272
467	Kiema	6,339	1:7,285
468	Mogeni The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,335	1:7,290
469	Wanjugu The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,332	1:7,293
470	Birgen The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,328	1:7,298
471	Shariff The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,326	1:7,300
472	Gachanja The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,324	1:7,302
473	Osiemo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,318	1:7,309
474	Onyiego	6,317	1:7,310
475	Iminza The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,298	1:7,332
476	Muange The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,289	1:7,343
477	Musumba	6,288	1:7,344
478	Bore	6,282	1:7,351
479	Saruni The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,275	1:7,359
480	Mwololo The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,274	1:7,361
481	Abdinoor	6,267	1:7,369
482	Awadh	6,244	1:7,396
483	Jefwa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,236	1:7,405
484	Lumbasi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,236	1:7,405
485	Wangai	6,219	1:7,426
486	Nyoike	6,217	1:7,428
487	Wanzala The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,211	1:7,435
488	Saitoti The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,207	1:7,440
489	Adam From the Biblical personal name Adam, which was borne, according to Genesis, by the first man. It is the generic Hebrew term for ‘man’, probably from Hebrew adama ‘earth’. Compare the classical Greek legend that Zeus fashioned the first human beings from earth. It was very popular as a personal name among non-Jews throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, and the surname is found in one form or another in most of the countries of Europe. Jews, however, have never used this personal name, except in recent times under Polish and English influence. Among Scottish and Irish bearers it is sometimes a reduced form of McAdam.	6,198	1:7,451
490	Mogere	6,172	1:7,482
491	Benjamin This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of Bennet,' i.e. Benedict, from the nick. Benn; it has nothing to do with Benjamin. Benn is a familiar surname wherever the Benedictine monks had a convent. Furness Abbey, founded in the 12th century, has made Benn and Benson (which see) a common surname in Furness and south Cumberland.	6,171	1:7,483
492	Kaari	6,156	1:7,502
493	Muraguri	6,152	1:7,506
494	Sidi	6,151	1:7,508
495	Nyawa The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,138	1:7,524
496	Kevin Irish: Anglicized form of Ó Caoimhín ‘descent of Caoimhín’ (Kevin), a byname representing a diminutive of Gaelic caomh ‘comely’, ‘beloved’. This was the name of a 7th-century saint who is one of the patrons of Dublin.	6,126	1:7,538
497	Omweri The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,120	1:7,546
498	Maghanga The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,115	1:7,552
499	Nafuna The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,115	1:7,552
500	Angwenyi The meaning of this surname is not listed.	6,112	1:7,556

Most common surnames in other countries

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