Kaiah
Of Hawaiian origin, meaning "guardian of the water's edge".
Name Census estimates that about 931 living Americans carry the first name Kaiah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaiah today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaiah births was 2021 (68 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaiah. 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
931
~ 1 in 368,157 Americans
Peak year
2021
68 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,899
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Kaiah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaiah from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 406 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kaiah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaiah 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 Kaiah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaiahs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Kaiah, while Illinois, New York, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 37 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaiah
The name Kaiah is a relatively modern invention, with its origins traced back to the late 20th century. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the Hebrew name Kaia, which itself is a diminutive form of the name Kaiah, meaning "to be adored" or "cherished one." While the name's precise roots are unclear, it is thought to have been created by parents seeking a unique and feminine name for their daughters.
Despite its recent coinage, the name Kaiah has gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in the United States and Australia. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kaiah can be found in the 1990s, when it began appearing in birth records and census data, albeit in small numbers.
Over the years, several notable individuals have borne the name Kaiah. One such person is Kaiah Compton (born 1995), an American actress and singer who has appeared in various television shows and films, including the Nickelodeon series "School of Rock." Another individual named Kaiah is Kaiah Walker (born 1997), a Canadian football player who currently plays as a wide receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League.
Kaiah Martin (born 1990) is a British entrepreneur and author who has written several books on personal development and mindfulness. In the world of sports, Kaiah Rivera (born 1993) is a Puerto Rican track and field athlete who specializes in sprinting events and has represented her country in international competitions.
Additionally, Kaiah Stokes (born 1987) is an American visual artist known for her intricate and thought-provoking mixed media installations, which have been featured in various galleries and exhibitions across the United States.
While the name Kaiah may be relatively new, it has quickly gained popularity and recognition, with its unique spelling and melodic sound appealing to many parents seeking a distinctive and meaningful name for their children.
People
Kaiah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaiah 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
Kaiah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaiah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 931 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaiah 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 368,157 US residents.
Is Kaiah a common name?
We classify Kaiah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 939 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaiah most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaiah was 2021, when 68 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaiah is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kaiah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaiah 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.