Where does the name Kenai come from?
The exact derivation of the name “Kenai” is unclear. The Dena’ina Athabascan Indians are the indigenous people of the area. In the Dena’ina language, “Ken” translates into “big flat.” “Ken’ey” means two big flats and river cut-back, and the word “ken’e” represents trees and brush grown in a swampy marsh. Any one of these terms may been the root or origin for the name of Kenai.
