Kaizer
Germanic origin meaning "emperor" or "leader of men".
Name Census estimates that about 1,211 living Americans carry the first name Kaizer. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kaizer today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaizer births was 2024 (161 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaizer. 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.
Key insights
- • Kaizer is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 7 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 283,034 Americans
Peak year
2024
161 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,237
Tracked since 1996
Gender
Gender distribution for Kaizer
Out of the 1,220 babies given the name Kaizer since 1880, 99.6% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Kaizer as a male name
- Ranked #1,237 in 2024
- 161 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (161 births)
Kaizer as a female name
- Ranked #16,304 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (5 births)
Popularity
Kaizer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaizer from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 699 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
Kaizer 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 Kaizer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaizers live
The SSA's state-level files cover 19 states and territories. Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Kaizer, while Virginia, Arkansas, Oklahoma recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 28 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaizer
The name Kaizer is derived from the German word "Kaiser," which means "emperor" or "ruler." This name has its origins in the Germanic languages and can be traced back to the Roman era.
During the reign of the Roman Empire, the title "Caesar" was used to refer to the emperors who ruled over the vast territories controlled by Rome. Over time, this title evolved into the German word "Kaiser," which became a common name and title for German rulers and nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kaizer can be found in the chronicles of the Holy Roman Empire, where it was used to refer to the emperors who ruled over large parts of central Europe during the Middle Ages. The most famous of these was Frederick I, also known as Frederick Barbarossa (c. 1122-1190), who reigned as the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death.
Another notable figure who bore the name Kaizer was Kaiser Wilhelm I (1797-1888), the first German Emperor and the leader who unified the German states into a single nation in 1871. His reign marked a significant period in German history and solidified the country's position as a major European power.
In more recent times, the name Kaizer has been associated with several prominent individuals. One example is Kaizer Chiefs, a South African football club based in Johannesburg, which was founded in 1970 and named after the club's original founder, Kaizer Motaung.
Additionally, Kaizer Nyatsumba (born 1990) is a Zimbabwean professional footballer who has played for various clubs in South Africa and Europe. Another notable bearer of the name is Kaizer Mabhilidi Nyatsumba (born 1985), a South African actor best known for his role in the television series "Skeem Saam."
Throughout history, the name Kaizer has been associated with leadership, power, and authority, reflecting its roots in the German word for "emperor." While its popularity may have fluctuated over time, it remains a name with a rich historical legacy and a strong connection to the Germanic cultural heritage.
People
Kaizer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaizer 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
Kaizer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaizer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,211 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaizer 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 283,034 US residents.
Is Kaizer a common name?
We classify Kaizer as "Rare". It ranks above 91.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,220 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaizer most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaizer was 2024, when 161 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaizer is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kaizer a male name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Kaizer 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.
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.