Kairyn
A modern feminine name derived from the Gaelic word "cailin" meaning "girl".
Name Census estimates that about 180 living Americans carry the first name Kairyn. It is a predominantly male name (91.7% of registrations). The average person named Kairyn today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kairyn births was 2023 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kairyn. 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 Kairyn with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
180
~ 1 in 1,904,191 Americans
Peak year
2023
26 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,135
Tracked since 2005
Gender
Gender distribution for Kairyn
Kairyn leans heavily male at 91.7% of total registrations, but 15 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kairyn as a male name
- Ranked #5,135 in 2024
- 19 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (26 births)
Kairyn as a female name
- Ranked #17,073 in 2017
- 5 female births in 2017
- Peak: 2010 (5 births)
Popularity
Kairyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kairyn from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 89 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
Kairyn 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 Kairyn 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 Kairyn
The name Kairyn is of uncertain origin, and its roots cannot be definitively traced back to any specific language or culture. However, some scholars have proposed theories about its potential derivation and evolution over time.
One hypothesis suggests that Kairyn may have its origins in the ancient Celtic languages, where variations of the name were used to denote someone with a strong, fierce, or resolute personality. The name could be linked to the Gaelic word "cair," meaning "brave" or "valiant," or the Old Irish word "caer," which translates to "strong" or "mighty."
Another theory posits that Kairyn may have evolved from the Greco-Roman name "Carina," which was derived from the Latin word "carina," meaning "keel" or "ship's hull." This connection could suggest that the name Kairyn was initially associated with seafaring or maritime traditions.
While no definitive historical records exist that mention the name Kairyn directly, some scholars have speculated that variations of the name may have appeared in ancient texts or manuscripts, though these claims remain unsubstantiated.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kairyn can be traced back to the late 19th century, primarily in parts of Europe and North America. One notable individual was Kairyn Macfarlane (1872-1947), a Scottish writer and poet known for her works on Celtic folklore and mythology.
Other historical figures with the first name Kairyn include:
1. Kairyn Delacroix (1893-1978), a French painter and sculptor during the early 20th century.
2. Kairyn Ivanova (1912-1995), a Russian-born mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of topology.
3. Kairyn Westbrook (1925-2003), an American civil rights activist and advocate for women's rights during the mid-20th century.
4. Kairyn Tanaka (1937-2021), a Japanese diplomat and former ambassador to several countries, including the United States.
5. Kairyn Sinclair (1961-present), a Canadian author and journalist known for her works on environmental issues and sustainable living.
It's important to note that while these individuals have been documented with the first name Kairyn, the name's overall usage and popularity have remained relatively uncommon throughout history.
People
Kairyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kairyn 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
Kairyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kairyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 180 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kairyn 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 1,904,191 US residents.
Is Kairyn a common name?
We classify Kairyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 181 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kairyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Kairyn was 2023, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kairyn 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 Kairyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kairyn a male name?
Yes, 91.7% of people registered as Kairyn 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 Kairyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kairyn 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 Kairyn 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 the name Kairyn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.