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At a Glance: Name: Keanu – Meaning: the coolness / cool breeze – Origin: Hawaiian – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: kee-AH-noo
Keanu is a Hawaiian name, pronounced kee-AH-noo, with a meaning that's easy to love: the coolness, or cool breeze. You may have come across it written as 'cool breeze over the mountains,' but that extra bit about mountains isn't actually part of the name — the meaning itself is simply the coolness. It has a breezy, modern feel that fits parents drawn to something free-spirited and open to the world.
Meaning & Origin of Keanu
Meaning: The coolness / cool breeze.
Origin: Hawaiian.
A common claim: Said to mean 'cool breeze,' sometimes elaborated as 'cool breeze over the mountains' Actually: The 'over the mountains' elaboration is an embellishment not found in standard sources; the core meaning is simply 'the coolness/cool breeze.'
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Keanu
Phonetic: kee-AH-noo IPA: /kiˈɑːnuː/
Popularity of Keanu
Keanu hit its highest point in 2020, landing at #514 with 556 babies given the name, and has eased since to #632 in 2024 with 442 babies — a gentle dip rather than a disappearance.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1990–2024.
Make Keanu Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Keanu, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Keanu mean?
The coolness / cool breeze. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Keanu)
How do you pronounce Keanu?
Keanu is pronounced kee-AH-noo (IPA: /kiˈɑːnuː/).
Is Keanu a popular name right now?
Keanu peaked at #514 in 2020 and is ranked #632 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1990–2024.)
📊 How popular is Keanu? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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