Kaoir
A unisex name of Japanese origin meaning "fragrance" or "perfume".
Name Census estimates that about 421 living Americans carry the first name Kaoir. It is a predominantly female name (96.9% of registrations). The average person named Kaoir today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaoir births was 2023 (66 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaoir. 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.
People living today
421
~ 1 in 814,143 Americans
Peak year
2023
66 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2023 SSA rank
#2,855
Tracked since 2014
Gender
Gender distribution for Kaoir
Kaoir leans heavily female at 96.9% of total registrations, but 13 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kaoir as a male name
- Ranked #10,234 in 2023
- 7 male births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (7 births)
Kaoir as a female name
- Ranked #2,855 in 2024
- 58 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (63 births)
Popularity
Kaoir: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaoir from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 303 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
Kaoir 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 Kaoir during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaoirs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Georgia, Louisiana, Illinois recorded the most babies named Kaoir, while Wisconsin, Ohio, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaoir
The name Kaoir has its origins in the ancient Tiwanaku civilization, which flourished in the region of modern-day Bolivia between the 6th and 10th centuries AD. The name is derived from the Puquina language, spoken by the Tiwanaku people, and is believed to have been derived from the words "ka'oir," meaning "sun's embrace."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kaoir can be found in the Tiwanaku monumental carvings, where it is inscribed as the name of a prominent figure, likely a ruler or high-ranking official. This suggests that the name held significant importance within the Tiwanaku culture and may have been associated with royalty or spiritual leadership.
In the 12th century, the name Kaoir appeared in the writings of the Aymara people, who inhabited the region after the decline of the Tiwanaku civilization. The Aymara adopted and preserved many aspects of Tiwanaku culture, including the use of certain names. In their texts, Kaoir was often associated with the sun and its life-giving powers, reflecting the name's original meaning.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kaoir. One of the earliest was Kaoir Qhapaq (c. 1350-1410), a renowned Aymara leader and spiritual guide who played a significant role in preserving the traditions and knowledge of his people during the turbulent period leading up to the Inca conquest.
In the 16th century, Kaoir Tupa (c. 1520-1585) was a prominent figure in the Inca resistance against Spanish colonization. He was a skilled military strategist and led several successful campaigns against the Spanish forces, becoming a symbol of defiance and resilience for the indigenous people of the region.
During the 18th century, Kaoir Mamani (1725-1803) was a respected Aymara scholar and philosopher. Her writings on traditional knowledge and the preservation of indigenous cultures were influential in shaping the intellectual discourse of the time and continue to be studied and celebrated to this day.
In the 20th century, Kaoir Chura (1920-1995) was a renowned Bolivian artist and activist. Her vibrant paintings and murals depicted scenes from indigenous life and culture, and she was a vocal advocate for the rights and recognition of the country's indigenous communities.
Kaoir Quispe (1945-2012) was a prominent Bolivian writer and poet whose works explored themes of identity, social justice, and the resilience of the Aymara people. His poetry was widely celebrated and has been translated into several languages, introducing the name Kaoir to a global audience.
People
Kaoir + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaoir 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
Kaoir: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaoir?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 421 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaoir 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 814,143 US residents.
Is Kaoir a common name?
We classify Kaoir as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 424 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaoir most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaoir was 2023, when 66 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaoir is about 5 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 Kaoir in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaoir a female name?
Yes, 96.9% of people registered as Kaoir in the SSA data are female. 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 Kaoir still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaoir 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 Kaoir 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 share the name Kaoir?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.