Kami means divine spirit or god — from the Japanese. In Shinto, kami ARE the divine spirits that inhabit ALL of nature — the most sacred forces. Everything from mountains to rivers to ancestors IS kami. Two syllables of the divine-spirits, inhabit-ALL-of-nature, and the most sacred Shinto forces.
Kami ARE Shinto's divine spirits.They inhabit ALL of nature — most sacred.Two syllables with a gentle, Japanese sound: KAH-mee.Ka and Mi are both embedded.The most directly divine-spirit name.
Kami ARE Shinto's divine spirits inhabiting ALL of nature — mountains, rivers, ancestors.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Japanese; Shinto tradition.
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Today
Kami remains a beloved choice, ranking #3129 in the US. 8,931 babies have been named Kami since 1957.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Kami?
1980peak year
The name Kami reached its peak in 1980, with 307 registrations (ranked #604). It first surfaced in U.S. records in 1957, roughly 23 years before its peak. Since the peak, the name has eased to well outside the top 1,000 (around #3129) today, averaging about 56 new babies per year. Kami's usage has held roughly steady recently. Across all years on record, approximately 8,931 American babies have carried this name.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Kami's Life Path 7 is the seeker's number — divine-spirit seeking. People named Kami tend to be gentle, sacred, and gifted at being the Shinto divine spirits of all nature.
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