Kajani
A name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from the Sanskrit word "kajani" meaning moonlight.
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Kajani. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kajani today is around 3 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kajani births was 2023 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kajani. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kajani. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
2023
7 babies that year
Average age
3
years old
2023 SSA rank
#10,224
Tracked since 2022
Popularity
Kajani: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kajani 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 Kajani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 12 | 0 | 12 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kajani
The given name Kajani has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was prevalent in ancient India and surrounding regions. The name can be traced back to the Vedic period, which spanned from approximately 1500 BCE to 500 BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "kajana," which means "black" or "dark-colored." This suggests that the name was initially used to describe someone with a darker complexion or dark features.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kajani can be found in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which is believed to have been composed between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE. In this ancient text, Kajani is depicted as a warrior and a skilled archer. However, it is unclear whether this character was based on an actual historical figure or was simply a fictional creation.
The name Kajani gained further prominence during the reign of the Maurya Empire, which ruled over a vast territory in ancient India from around 322 BCE to 185 BCE. During this period, a notable figure named Kajani Gupta served as a minister and advisor to the famous emperor Ashoka. Gupta was renowned for his wisdom and diplomatic skills, and his contributions to the administration of the empire were widely celebrated.
In the 7th century CE, a Buddhist monk named Kajani Shantideva gained recognition for his spiritual teachings and philosophical writings. Shantideva's most famous work, the "Bodhicaryavatara," became a seminal text in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and is still widely studied and revered today.
Another notable individual named Kajani was a skilled painter who lived during the 16th century CE in the Mughal Empire. Kajani's intricate and vibrant artworks adorned the walls of many royal palaces and monuments, showcasing his mastery of the traditional Indian miniature painting style.
In the 19th century, a renowned poet and writer named Kajani Devi Dayal emerged from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Dayal's poetic works, which often celebrated the beauty of nature and explored themes of love and spirituality, earned him widespread acclaim and a place among the literary greats of his time.
While the name Kajani has its roots in ancient India, it has also been adopted and adapted in various cultures and regions over the centuries. However, its historical significance and deep-rooted connections to the rich cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent remain undeniable.
People
Kajani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kajani 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
Kajani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kajani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kajani 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 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Kajani a common name?
We classify Kajani as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kajani most popular?
The single biggest year for Kajani was 2023, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kajani is about 3 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 Kajani in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kajani a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kajani 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 Kajani still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kajani 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 Kajani 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 Kajani?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.