Kairav
A masculine name of Indian origin meaning "The Crown Prince".
Name Census estimates that about 380 living Americans carry the first name Kairav. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kairav today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kairav births was 2024 (58 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kairav. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kairav with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
380
~ 1 in 901,985 Americans
Peak year
2024
58 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,403
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Kairav: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kairav from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 226 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kairav by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kairav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kairavs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Kairav, while Ohio, New York, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kairav
The name Kairav is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that has been in use for over 3,500 years. The name is derived from the combination of two Sanskrit words, "Kai" meaning "hand" and "Rav" meaning "sun" or "light." Thus, the name Kairav can be interpreted as "the one with hands as radiant as the sun."
The earliest known references to the name Kairav can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, particularly in the Mahabharata and the Puranas. These sacred texts often featured characters with names derived from Sanskrit words, reflecting the cultural and spiritual significance of names in the Indian subcontinent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kairav was in the 12th century, when a renowned scholar and poet named Kairav Mishra lived in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He was widely recognized for his contributions to Sanskrit literature and is believed to have authored several works on poetry and philosophy.
Throughout history, the name Kairav has been associated with individuals of notable accomplishments. In the 16th century, Kairav Pandit was a highly respected Hindu scholar and astrologer who served as an advisor to the Mughal Emperor Akbar. His expertise in astronomy and astrology greatly influenced the court's decision-making processes.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Kairav was Kairav Chandra Ghosh, a 19th-century Indian philosopher and social reformer. He was a strong advocate for women's education and played a significant role in the Bengal Renaissance movement, working to eradicate social evils and promote progressive thinking.
In the realm of literature, Kairav Narayana Apte was a distinguished Marathi writer and scholar from the 19th century. He is best known for his contributions to Marathi lexicography, having compiled one of the most comprehensive Marathi-English dictionaries of his time.
Lastly, in the field of classical Indian music, Kairav Mangaldas Navalkar was a prominent vocalist and musician from the 20th century. He was a renowned exponent of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana and is credited with preserving and promoting the rich tradition of Hindustani classical music.
While the name Kairav has its origins in Sanskrit and has been predominantly used in the Indian subcontinent, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world due to the global spread of Indian culture and diaspora communities. The name continues to hold cultural and linguistic significance, reflecting the rich heritage and traditions associated with its Sanskrit roots.
People
Kairav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kairav as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kairav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kairav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 380 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kairav going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 901,985 US residents.
Is Kairav a common name?
We classify Kairav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 383 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kairav most popular?
The single biggest year for Kairav was 2024, when 58 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kairav is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kairav in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kairav a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kairav in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kairav still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kairav in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kairav can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Kairav?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.