UK boy's name
Kemuel
An English variant of a Hebrew name meaning "raised by God".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kemuel is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kemuel popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 5 births.
This profile covers 47 England and Wales registrations across 12 recorded years from 2008 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 47 living people in the UK are called Kemuel. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kemuel ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2008, when 5 boys were registered as Kemuel.
- • About 47 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kemuel as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5119
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
2008
5 births
Estimated living
47
2026
Meaning
What does Kemuel mean?
The name Kemuel is of Hebrew origin and can be traced back to the Bible. It is derived from the Hebrew words "kam" meaning "to rise" and "El" meaning "God". The name translates to "raised by God" or "one who is raised by God".
In the Old Testament, Kemuel appears as the name of a prince of the tribe of Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. He is mentioned in Numbers 34:24 as one of the tribal leaders appointed by Moses to oversee the division of the Promised Land.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kemuel can be found in the Book of Numbers, which is believed to have been written around the 6th or 5th century BCE. This makes Kemuel one of the oldest recorded names in history.
While not a particularly common name throughout history, there have been a few notable individuals who bore the name Kemuel. One of the earliest was Kemuel ben Shaftan, a prominent Jewish scholar and Talmudist who lived in the 11th century CE in what is now Iraq.
Another notable Kemuel was Kemuel Gifford (1604-1677), an English clergyman and writer who served as the rector of White Roding in Essex. He was a prolific author and published several works on theology and religious subjects.
In the 18th century, Kemuel Harrower (1703-1776) was a Scottish minister and author who served as the minister of the Tron Church in Edinburgh. He was known for his influential sermons and writings on religious topics.
In more recent times, Kemuel Aguilar (1881-1971) was a Mexican politician and diplomat who served as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico from 1946 to 1948.
Finally, Kemuel Roig (1897-1968) was a Puerto Rican poet and writer who was part of the literary movement known as the "Generation of 1930". He is considered one of the most important figures in Puerto Rican literature of the 20th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kemuel over time
The chart below shows babies named Kemuel registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kemuel, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kemuel by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kemuel was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4269 | 15 | 4 |
| 2010s | #4158 | 27 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3158 | 5 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Kemuel
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kemuel: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kemuel in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kemuel was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Kemuel most popular?
The peak year on record was 2008, with 5 babies registered as Kemuel in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kemuel?
An English variant of a Hebrew name meaning "raised by God".
How many people are called Kemuel in the UK?
A total of 47 babies have been registered as Kemuel across the 12 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.