Ka
A feminine Vietnamese name meaning cloud or rain.
Name Census estimates that about 877 living Americans carry the first name Ka. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 85.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Ka today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ka births was 1990 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ka. 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
877
~ 1 in 390,826 Americans
Peak year
1990
75 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2005 SSA rank
#8,698
Tracked since 1962
Gender
Gender distribution for Ka
Ka leans heavily female at 85.2% of total registrations, but 136 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Ka as a male name
- Ranked #8,698 in 2005
- 8 male births in 2005
- Peak: 1989 (10 births)
Ka as a female name
- Ranked #15,016 in 2004
- 6 female births in 2004
- Peak: 1990 (65 births)
Popularity
Ka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ka from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 426 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ka 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 Ka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Minnesota, Wisconsin recorded the most babies named Ka, while New York, Wisconsin, Minnesota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 128 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ka
The name Ka has its origins in ancient Egypt, dating back to the early dynastic period around 3100 BC. It is derived from the Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol representing the concept of "soul" or "life force." The hieroglyph itself depicts a pair of arms raised in praise or supplication, symbolizing the spiritual essence of existence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ka can be found in the Pyramid Texts, a collection of ancient Egyptian religious inscriptions adorning the interior walls of pyramids. These texts, which date back to the Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2181 BC), contain spells and incantations intended to aid the deceased pharaohs in their journey to the afterlife. The name Ka is mentioned in several of these texts, often in connection with rituals and offerings made to sustain the ka, or spiritual aspect, of the departed ruler.
In later periods of ancient Egyptian history, the name Ka was occasionally bestowed upon individuals, particularly those associated with religious or spiritual roles. One notable example is Ka-Gemni, a high priest who lived during the 6th Dynasty (c. 2345-2181 BC) and served under the reign of Pepi II. His name, which translates to "Ka is established," reflects the importance placed on honoring and nurturing one's spiritual essence.
Another prominent figure bearing the name Ka was Ka-Nefer-Re, a prince and heir apparent during the 5th Dynasty (c. 2494-2345 BC). While he did not ascend to the throne, his name, meaning "The beautiful Ka of Re," highlights the connection between the concept of the ka and the sun god Re, a central figure in ancient Egyptian religion.
In the realm of mythology, the name Ka is associated with the concept of the "double," a spiritual counterpart or twin that accompanied every individual throughout their life. This belief was deeply ingrained in ancient Egyptian cosmology and played a significant role in funerary practices, as provisions were made to ensure the continued existence of the ka after death.
As Egyptian culture and religion spread throughout the ancient world, the name Ka and its associated concepts likely influenced other civilizations. However, its direct usage as a given name appears to have been primarily confined to ancient Egypt, where it held deep symbolic and spiritual significance.
People
Ka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ka 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
Ka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 877 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ka 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 390,826 US residents.
Is Ka a common name?
We classify Ka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 917 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ka most popular?
The single biggest year for Ka was 1990, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ka is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ka a female name?
Yes, 85.2% of people registered as Ka 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.
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.