NameCensus.
Rare

Kaleia

A Hawaiian feminine name meaning "the bright path" or "the wreath".

Name Census estimates that about 1,024 living Americans carry the first name Kaleia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaleia today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaleia births was 2023 (99 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaleia. 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

  • Kaleia is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 11 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.

People living today

1.0K

~ 1 in 334,721 Americans

Peak year

2023

99 babies that year

Average age

11

years old

2024 SSA rank

#2,031

Tracked since 1983

Popularity

Kaleia: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Kaleia from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 398 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

02550749919851990199520002005201020152020

Decades

Kaleia 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 Kaleia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1980s088
1990s04646
2000s0204204
2010s0378378
2020s0398398

Geography

Where Kaleias live

The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Kaleia, while Nevada, North Carolina, Washington recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 54 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Kaleia

The name Kaleia has its origins in Greek mythology and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is believed to derive from the Greek word "kalos," meaning beautiful or fair. The name was often associated with beauty, grace, and elegance in Greek society.

In ancient Greek texts, there are references to nymphs and goddesses with names similar to Kaleia, such as Kalypso and Kalliope. These figures were celebrated for their beauty and artistic talents. However, there is no definitive record of a specific historical figure named Kaleia in classical Greek literature or historical accounts.

The earliest recorded use of the name Kaleia dates back to the 16th century. One notable bearer of the name was Kaleia Carani, an Italian Renaissance painter who lived from 1550 to 1615. She was renowned for her portraiture and religious paintings, and her works can be found in various churches and galleries across Italy.

In the 18th century, Kaleia Montague was an English aristocrat and socialite known for her wit and charm. She was a prominent figure in London's high society and hosted many influential literary and philosophical salons during her lifetime, from 1720 to 1785.

Another historical figure named Kaleia was a Greek revolutionary and activist, Kaleia Papadopoulou, who lived from 1876 to 1949. She played a significant role in the Greek resistance against Ottoman rule and later fought for women's rights and social reforms in her country.

In the realm of literature, Kaleia Thorpe was an American novelist and poet who lived from 1908 to 1982. Her works often explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, and she was celebrated for her lyrical and evocative writing style.

Lastly, Kaleia Sanchez was a Mexican artist and sculptor who lived from 1925 to 2005. Her works, often inspired by indigenous Mexican culture and mythology, were exhibited in galleries around the world, and she was recognized for her innovative use of materials and her powerful representations of human emotion.

People

Kaleia + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Kaleia 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

Kaleia: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Kaleia?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,024 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaleia 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 334,721 US residents.

Is Kaleia a common name?

We classify Kaleia as "Rare". It ranks above 90.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,034 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Kaleia most popular?

The single biggest year for Kaleia was 2023, when 99 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaleia is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Kaleia a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaleia in the SSA data are female. 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.

N
Name Census
namecensus.com

There are 1.0K people

with the first name

Kaleia

Look up any American name

Share this result