Kaaran
A masculine name of Indian origin meaning "cause" or "reason".
Name Census estimates that about 2 living Americans carry the first name Kaaran. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaaran today is around 98 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaaran births was 1942 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaaran. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Kaaran is about 98 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Kaarans were born before 1938.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kaaran. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
2
~ 1 in 171,377,169 Americans
Peak year
1942
6 babies that year
Average age
98
years old
1942 SSA rank
#4,364
Tracked since 1942
Popularity
Kaaran: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaaran 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 Kaaran during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaaran
The name Kaaran has its origins in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kara," which means "hand" or "ray of light." The name likely emerged during the Vedic period, which spanned from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE.
In Hindu mythology, the name Kaaran is associated with the sun god Surya. It is believed that the name was given to individuals who were considered to be as radiant and powerful as the sun itself. The name also has connections to the concept of "karma," which in Hindu philosophy refers to the principle of cause and effect.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kaaran can be found in the Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic poem. In this text, Kaaran is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great battle of Kurukshetra.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kaaran. One of the most famous was Kaaran Singh, an Indian politician and diplomat who served as the Maharaja of Patiala from 1938 to 1971. He was born in 1915 and played a significant role in the integration of princely states into the Indian Union after independence.
Another notable Kaaran was Kaaran Devi, a 16th-century Rajput princess from the Mewar region of India. She is celebrated for her bravery and courage during the siege of Chittorgarh in 1567, where she chose to sacrifice her life rather than surrender to the Mughal forces.
In the realm of literature, Kaaran Desai was an influential Indian author and poet who lived from 1857 to 1942. He is renowned for his contributions to the Gujarati literary tradition and for his efforts in promoting education and social reform.
Kaaran Kapoor was a prominent Indian film actor and producer who lived from 1923 to 1988. He is best known for his work in the Hindi film industry, particularly in the 1940s and 1950s, and is considered one of the pioneers of Indian cinema.
Lastly, Kaaran Thapar is a contemporary Indian journalist and television host who has gained recognition for his hard-hitting interviews and political commentary. He was born in 1955 and has been a prominent figure in Indian media for several decades.
People
Kaaran + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaaran 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
Kaaran: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaaran?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaaran 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 171,377,169 US residents.
Is Kaaran a common name?
We classify Kaaran as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaaran most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaaran was 1942, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaaran is about 98 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 Kaaran in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaaran a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaaran 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 Kaaran still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaaran 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 Kaaran 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 Kaaran?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.