Kaicen
A masculine name of Japanese origin meaning "celebrating one's talent".
Name Census estimates that about 269 living Americans carry the first name Kaicen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kaicen today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaicen births was 2019 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaicen. 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 Kaicen with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
269
~ 1 in 1,274,180 Americans
Peak year
2019
29 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,478
Tracked since 2009
Popularity
Kaicen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaicen from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 141 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaicen 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 Kaicen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaicens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Georgia, Louisiana, Texas recorded the most babies named Kaicen, while Texas, Louisiana, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaicen
The name Kaicen is believed to have originated from a combination of Japanese and Chinese linguistic influences. It is thought to be derived from the Japanese word "kai," meaning ocean or sea, and the Chinese word "cen," meaning truth or sincerity. Together, the name could be interpreted to mean "truthful ocean" or "sincere sea."
In ancient Japanese mythology, the ocean and sea were often revered as powerful and sacred entities. The name Kaicen may have been used to honor this reverence and express a connection to the vast and mysterious waters that surrounded the Japanese islands.
The earliest recorded uses of the name Kaicen can be traced back to the 8th century CE, during the Nara period of Japanese history. It is mentioned in several ancient texts and historical records from this time, often in reference to individuals with close ties to maritime activities or coastal regions.
One notable figure in Japanese history who bore the name Kaicen was a renowned navigator and explorer from the late 12th century. Kaicen the Navigator is credited with charting new sea routes and expanding the reach of Japanese maritime exploration during the Kamakura period.
In the 15th century, a Buddhist monk named Kaicen Shōnin gained recognition for his teachings and contributions to the spread of Zen Buddhism throughout Japan. His writings and travels played a significant role in the cultural and spiritual development of the nation during the Muromachi period.
Another historical figure named Kaicen was a skilled swordsmith who lived in the late 16th century, during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. His legendary blades were prized for their exceptional craftsmanship and were sought after by samurai warriors throughout the land.
In more recent times, a Japanese novelist named Kaicen Nakamura, born in 1923 and passed away in 2004, gained acclaim for his literary works exploring themes of modern society and the human condition.
Lastly, Kaicen Furuya, a renowned Japanese artist born in 1941, is celebrated for his intricate woodblock prints and paintings that capture the beauty and essence of the natural world, often featuring ocean and coastal scenes.
People
Kaicen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaicen 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
Kaicen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaicen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 269 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaicen 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 1,274,180 US residents.
Is Kaicen a common name?
We classify Kaicen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 271 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaicen most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaicen was 2019, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaicen is about 8 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 Kaicen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaicen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaicen 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 Kaicen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaicen 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 Kaicen 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 called Kaicen?
You can see how many Americans are named Kaicen on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.