Kaien
A Japanese name meaning "ocean cove" or "bay of fire".
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the first name Kaien. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kaien today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaien births was 2016 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaien. 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 Kaien with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
126
~ 1 in 2,720,273 Americans
Peak year
2016
14 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,995
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Kaien: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaien 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 77 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kaien remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaien 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 Kaien during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaien
The name Kaien is of Japanese origin, derived from the combination of the Japanese words "kai" meaning "ocean" and "en" meaning "bay" or "inlet." This name is closely associated with the coastal regions of Japan, where fishing and maritime activities have been an integral part of the culture for centuries.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Kaien can be traced back to the Heian period (794-1185 AD) in Japan. During this time, it was not uncommon for Japanese names to reflect the natural beauty and geographical features of the region, and Kaien was likely bestowed upon individuals born near or residing in coastal areas.
In Japanese folklore and literature, the name Kaien has been associated with tales of seafarers, fishermen, and those who lived in harmony with the ocean. Some ancient Japanese texts, such as the "Kojiki" (712 AD) and the "Nihon Shoki" (720 AD), may contain references to individuals bearing this name, although specific details are scarce.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Kaien was a Japanese poet and calligrapher who lived during the Kamakura period (1185-1333 AD). While his exact birth and death dates are unknown, his works and calligraphic pieces are believed to have influenced the artistic styles of his time.
Another notable figure was Kaien Nakamura (1732-1817), a Japanese scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of Confucianism and Neo-Confucianism in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868).
During the Meiji era (1868-1912), a Japanese naval officer named Kaien Yoshizawa (1848-1917) gained recognition for his military service and leadership during the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905).
In the field of literature, Kaien Tsukada (1887-1954) was a prominent Japanese novelist and playwright known for his works that explored the societal changes and cultural shifts of early 20th century Japan.
Lastly, Kaien Nakazawa (1920-2005) was a Japanese artist and manga artist renowned for his powerful anti-war manga series "Barefoot Gen," which depicted the devastating effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II.
These individuals, spanning various eras and professions, have contributed to the rich cultural heritage associated with the name Kaien, solidifying its connection to the maritime traditions and artistic expressions of Japan.
People
Kaien + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaien 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
Kaien: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaien?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 126 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaien 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 2,720,273 US residents.
Is Kaien a common name?
We classify Kaien as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 127 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaien most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaien was 2016, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaien is about 11 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 Kaien in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaien a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaien 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 Kaien still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaien 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 Kaien 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 Kaien as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.