According to the version of the etymologist Konstantīns Karulis [lv], "Ķekava" is a word of Baltic origin: in ancient Indo-European languages, the root "kek" means "bend, bend", and "av(e)" means "moisten, dehydrate, flow".

This hydronym probably reflects the course of the Ķekava River [lv]: in the upper reaches it runs parallel to the Daugava, but in the middle reaches there are some sharp bends, turning towards the mouth of the Daugava.

Following the Singing Revolution and collapse of the Soviet Union, the once state-owned factory in the town transitioned into a privately owned enterprise, now known simply as Ķekava.

After the 2021 Latvian administrative reform, Ķekava gained the status of a city on 1 July 2022.

The football club Auda, headquartered in Ķekava, participates in the Latvian First League championships, with their youth and junior teams engaging in the Latvian Youth Football Championship.