"cherish me"
The name Kemi is commonly a female name from the "Yoruba" origin that means "cherish me".
Kemi is a Yoruba name, used as the short form of longer compound names such as Olukemi and Adekemi. It rests on the Yoruba verb ke, meaning to cherish or pamper, with mi, me, so the literal sense is "cherish me". Shortening a compound name to its final two syllables is a regular pattern in Yoruba naming, which is how Kemi exists as a name in its own right.
The pronunciation of Kemi is KEH-mee.
