I could make an argument that since the writers are american that's the meaning they use. But I honestly don't think they thought that much into the name, or the character, other than what about her can make people laugh.
See...I disagree. Buffy's name was supposedly meaningless (which in itself is giving it meaning). What are the odds of two vampires who follow similar paths sharing a name if their names are random? The names William, Liam and Xander are all related in some way to "protector" - but Buffy's the one who protects. Dawn in a show about vampires?(actually, they admitted to that). Tara Maclay - that's earth mother - twice. It's not as if they're making oppositions up...they're pre-existing. You don't call a character Faith by accident...why would you chose Kendra's name arbitrarily?
Because it's a throw-away character with no real impact on the narrative and the name was very popular at the time.