Kaija
A feminine Finnish diminutive form of the name Katharina meaning "pure".
Name Census estimates that about 990 living Americans carry the first name Kaija. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaija today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaija births was 2002 (49 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaija. 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
990
~ 1 in 346,217 Americans
Peak year
2002
49 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,484
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Kaija: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaija from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 356 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaija 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 Kaija during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaijas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. Minnesota, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Kaija, while Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaija
The name Kaija originates from Finland, where it is a feminine given name. It is believed to be derived from the Finnish word "kaija," which translates to "echo" or "resonance." The name has its roots in the Finnish language and culture, dating back to ancient times when the Finnish people were closely connected to nature and the elements.
Kaija was a relatively uncommon name in Finland until the 20th century, when it gained popularity due to its unique sound and meaning. The name's association with the natural world and the concept of echoes or resonance may have appealed to Finnish parents seeking a name that reflected their cultural heritage and connection to the natural environment.
While there are no recorded instances of the name Kaija appearing in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it has been documented in Finnish historical records and literature from the 19th century onwards. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Kaija Sarvanto, a Finnish actress born in 1903, who gained fame for her roles in Finnish theater and films.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kaija. One of the most famous is Kaija Saariaho, a renowned Finnish composer born in 1952. Saariaho is widely regarded as one of the most influential and innovative composers of her time, known for her unique approach to orchestration and her blending of acoustic and electronic music.
Another notable Kaija is Kaija Koo, a Finnish singer-songwriter born in 1939. Koo achieved significant success in Finland and gained international recognition for her contributions to Finnish popular music. Her music often incorporated elements of Finnish folk traditions and explored themes of love, heartbreak, and personal growth.
Kaija Lehtonen, born in 1921, was a Finnish author and journalist known for her novels and short stories that explored themes of feminism, identity, and social issues. Her works were widely acclaimed and translated into several languages, earning her a prominent place in Finnish literary history.
Kaija Mustonen, born in 1976, is a Finnish figure skater and Olympic medalist. She won a bronze medal in the figure skating team event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, adding to her impressive collection of international accolades and titles.
Kaija Siikala, born in 1939, is a Finnish architect and academic who has made significant contributions to the field of sustainable and environmentally conscious design. Her work has focused on integrating traditional Finnish building techniques with modern architectural principles, creating buildings that are both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally responsible.
People
Kaija + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaija 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
Kaija: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaija?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 990 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaija 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 346,217 US residents.
Is Kaija a common name?
We classify Kaija as "Very Rare". It ranks above 90% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,014 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaija most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaija was 2002, when 49 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaija is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kaija a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaija 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.