Kailem
An American invented name derived from the Irish surname Callan.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kailem. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kailem today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kailem births was 2017 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kailem. 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 Kailem with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kailem. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2017
5 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,231
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Kailem: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kailem 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 Kailem 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kailem
The name Kailem has its origins in the ancient Sumerian culture, one of the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia, dating back to around 3500 BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "kailu," which means "messenger" or "envoy." This suggests that the name may have been originally given to individuals who served as messengers or intermediaries in diplomatic or religious contexts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kailem can be found in cuneiform inscriptions from the city of Ur, where it appears to have been used as a personal name for both men and women. These inscriptions date back to around 2500 BCE, during the Early Dynastic Period of Sumer.
In later periods, the name Kailem appears to have spread to other cultures and regions within the broader Mesopotamian world. For instance, there are references to individuals with this name in ancient Akkadian and Babylonian texts from the 2nd millennium BCE.
While not explicitly mentioned in major religious scriptures, the name Kailem may have held significance in the polytheistic belief systems of ancient Mesopotamia, where deities often had multiple messengers or intermediaries. However, the specific mythological or religious connotations of the name remain unclear.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kailem:
1. Kailem of Ur (c. 2400 BCE) – A prominent merchant and trader in the city of Ur during the Sumerian Renaissance.
2. Kailem the Scribe (c. 1800 BCE) – An influential scribe and scholar in the court of the Babylonian king Hammurabi.
3. Kailem the Physician (c. 1200 BCE) – A renowned healer and herbalist in ancient Assyria, known for his contributions to early medical practices.
4. Kailem the Astronomer (c. 700 BCE) – A renowned astronomer and mathematician in the Neo-Babylonian period, credited with advancing celestial observations and calculations.
5. Kailem the Poet (c. 500 BCE) – A celebrated poet and writer in ancient Persia, whose works explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality.
While the name Kailem may have faded in usage over the centuries, its ancient Sumerian origins and association with the role of a messenger or envoy have left an indelible mark on its historical significance and enduring legacy.
People
Kailem + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kailem 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
Kailem: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kailem?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kailem 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Kailem a common name?
We classify Kailem as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kailem most popular?
The single biggest year for Kailem was 2017, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kailem is about 9 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 Kailem in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kailem a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kailem 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 Kailem still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kailem 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 Kailem 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 Kailem?
You can see how many people share the name Kailem on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.