Kenichi

Meaning of Kenichi

Kenichi is a masculine Japanese given name whose constituent morphemes—commonly represented by the kanji 健 (health, strength) or 賢 (wisdom) paired with 一 (one)—coalesce into a lexeme often interpreted as “strong first son” or “wise first-born.” Phonetically rendered as /kɛnˈi.tʃi/, it exhibits the characteristic tri-syllabic cadence of Japanese nomenclature. Etymologically, the name’s dual elements articulate a cultural emphasis on vitality and primacy within familial hierarchies. Its adoption among early twentieth-century Japanese immigrants in Hawaii is well attested: from 1918 onward, Kenichi consistently ranked within the top fifty male names bestowed upon newborns in the territory, peaking at twenty-third place with fifteen occurrences in that landmark year. In modern contexts, the name endures both in Japan and across Japanese diaspora communities, its resonance further amplified by distinguished bearers such as Nobel Prize–winning chemist Kenichi Fukui. With its precise combination of strength and precedence, Kenichi embodies a formal gravitas that bridges traditional Japanese linguistic heritage and the evolving transnational identities of its bearers.