Kaashif
An Arabic name meaning "explorer" or "pioneer".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Kaashif. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kaashif today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaashif births was 1986 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaashif. 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 Kaashif with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kaashif. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1986
7 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
1989 SSA rank
#8,543
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Kaashif: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaashif 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 Kaashif during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaashif
The name Kaashif is of Arabic origin and has its roots in the Arabic language. It is derived from the Arabic word "kashafa," which means "to reveal" or "to uncover." The name is believed to have emerged in the Middle East during the medieval period, around the 7th to 13th centuries.
In the Arabic culture, the name Kaashif was often associated with individuals who were known for their wisdom, insight, and ability to uncover hidden truths or knowledge. It was a name that carried a sense of reverence and respect.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kaashif can be found in the works of renowned Islamic scholars and philosophers from the 9th and 10th centuries. These scholars often used the term "al-Kaashif" as a title or an honorific, indicating their mastery of unveiling the deeper meanings of religious texts or uncovering new understandings of various disciplines.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Kaashif. One such individual was Kaashif al-Ghita, a prominent Sufi scholar and poet who lived in the 12th century. His works, particularly his poetry, were widely celebrated for their profound spiritual insights and their ability to unveil the mysteries of the divine.
Another famous bearer of the name was Kaashif al-Baghdadi, a renowned Arabic grammarian and linguist who lived in the 13th century. His influential work, "Al-Muqaddimah al-Kaashifiyyah," was a seminal text on Arabic grammar and syntax, and it helped shape the study of the Arabic language for generations to come.
In the realm of Islamic jurisprudence, Kaashif al-Din al-Baydhawi, born in the late 12th century, was a prominent scholar and jurist. His commentaries on the Qur'an and other Islamic texts were widely respected and studied, earning him a reputation as a "revealer" of profound legal and religious insights.
The name Kaashif also found its way into the literary world, with Kaashif al-Samarqandi, a 15th-century Uzbek poet and writer, being one of the most celebrated figures. His poetic works, which often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, were highly influential in the Persian literary tradition.
While these are just a few examples, the name Kaashif has been carried by many individuals throughout history, each contributing to various fields of knowledge and leaving their mark on their respective cultures and societies.
People
Kaashif + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaashif 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
Kaashif: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaashif?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaashif 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Kaashif a common name?
We classify Kaashif as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaashif most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaashif was 1986, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaashif is about 37 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 Kaashif in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaashif a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaashif 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 Kaashif still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaashif 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 Kaashif 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 are named Kaashif?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Kaashif at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.