Kaben
An invented name of uncertain meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Kaben. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kaben today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaben births was 2013 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaben. 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 Kaben with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kaben. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2013
6 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2013 SSA rank
#11,435
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Kaben: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaben 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 Kaben during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaben
The name Kaben originates from the ancient Sumerian language, one of the earliest known written languages in human history, dating back to around 3500 BCE. It is believed to have its roots in the Sumerian word "ka-ben," which translates to "beloved child" or "cherished one." This name reflects the deep reverence and affection ancient Sumerian parents had for their offspring.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Kaben can be found in cuneiform inscriptions on clay tablets from the city-state of Uruk in modern-day Iraq, which was one of the earliest urban centers in Mesopotamia. These inscriptions date back to the late 4th millennium BCE and suggest that the name was already in use among the Sumerian people during that era.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Kaben was a high-ranking priest and scribe who lived in the city of Nippur during the reign of the Akkadian king Sargon the Great, around 2350 BCE. Kaben was renowned for his mastery of the Sumerian language and his contributions to the preservation of ancient Sumerian texts and religious teachings.
Another prominent individual named Kaben was a skilled architect and engineer who lived during the Third Dynasty of Ur, around 2100 BCE. He was responsible for the construction of several impressive ziggurats, which were massive stepped pyramids used as temples in ancient Mesopotamian cities. These structures were architectural marvels of their time and demonstrated the advanced level of engineering and construction techniques employed by the Sumerians.
In later periods, the name Kaben continued to be used, albeit less frequently. One noteworthy figure was Kaben of Antioch, a Christian scholar and theologian who lived in the 5th century CE. He is known for his contributions to the study of the Bible and his influential writings on various theological topics.
Another individual named Kaben was a renowned calligrapher and manuscript illuminator who lived in the city of Baghdad during the Abbasid Caliphate, around the 9th century CE. His intricate and exquisite calligraphic works adorned many important religious and literary manuscripts of the time, showcasing the high level of artistry and craftsmanship that existed in the Islamic world during this period.
While the name Kaben has its origins in the ancient Sumerian culture, it has been adopted and used by various other civilizations and cultures throughout history, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy and influence of one of the earliest known written languages and its people.
People
Kaben + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaben 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
Kaben: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaben?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaben 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Kaben a common name?
We classify Kaben as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% 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 Kaben most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaben was 2013, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaben is about 13 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 Kaben in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaben a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaben 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 Kaben still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaben 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 Kaben 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 Kaben as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Kaben on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.