Kainon
An invented name derived from the Greek word meaning "new, fresh".
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the first name Kainon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kainon today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kainon births was 2017 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kainon. 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
123
~ 1 in 2,786,621 Americans
Peak year
2017
21 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,588
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Kainon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kainon 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 77 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kainon remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kainon 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 Kainon 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 Kainon
The name Kainon is of Greek origin, derived from the ancient Greek word "kainos," meaning "new" or "fresh." Its earliest known usage dates back to the 1st century AD, during the time of the Roman Empire.
In ancient Greek literature, the name Kainon appears in several philosophical texts, particularly those of the Stoic and Cynic schools of thought. It was often used to symbolize the concept of renewal, regeneration, and a fresh start.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Kainon was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 2nd century AD. He was a follower of the Cynic tradition and is believed to have written several treatises on the virtues of a simple life, though none of his works have survived to modern times.
During the Byzantine era, the name Kainon gained popularity among Christian communities in the eastern Mediterranean region. It was sometimes associated with the idea of spiritual rebirth and the renewal of faith.
In the 6th century AD, there was a monk named Kainon who lived in a monastery near Antioch (modern-day Turkey). He was known for his ascetic practices and his teachings on humility and detachment from material possessions.
In the 9th century, a Byzantine scholar and theologian named Kainon was influential in the debates surrounding the use of icons in Christian worship. He argued in favor of their use, contributing to the resolution of the Byzantine Iconoclasm controversy.
During the Renaissance period, the name Kainon resurfaced in some humanist circles, particularly among those interested in reviving the study of ancient Greek philosophy and literature.
A notable figure from this time was Kainon of Crete (1503-1578), a Greek scholar and philosopher who taught at various universities in Italy. He was known for his translations of ancient Greek texts and his commentaries on the works of Plato and Aristotle.
While not a widespread name, Kainon has appeared throughout history in different cultural contexts, often associated with ideas of renewal, freshness, and a connection to ancient Greek thought and traditions.
People
Kainon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kainon 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
Kainon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kainon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 123 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kainon 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 2,786,621 US residents.
Is Kainon a common name?
We classify Kainon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 124 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kainon most popular?
The single biggest year for Kainon was 2017, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kainon is about 10 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 Kainon in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kainon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kainon 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 Kainon still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kainon 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 Kainon 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 common is the name Kainon?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.