Kaleiah
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly combining elements meaning "beautiful" and "truth".
Name Census estimates that about 260 living Americans carry the first name Kaleiah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaleiah today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaleiah births was 2021 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaleiah. 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
260
~ 1 in 1,318,286 Americans
Peak year
2021
20 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,487
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Kaleiah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaleiah from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 122 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kaleiah remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaleiah 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 Kaleiah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaleiahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaleiah
The name Kaleiah is a relatively modern invention, likely created in the late 20th or early 21st century. Its origins are uncertain, but it appears to be a blend of various linguistic roots and influences.
One possible derivation of Kaleiah is from the Hawaiian name Kalei, meaning "the lei" or "the wreath." The suffix "-ah" could be a nod to the Arabic feminine ending "-ah," as seen in names like Aaliyah or Mariah. This combination of Hawaiian and Arabic elements would give Kaleiah a multicultural flair.
Another potential source is the Greek word "kalos," meaning "beautiful" or "good." This root is found in many modern names, such as Calista and Kalina. The added "-eiah" could be a creative twist inspired by biblical names like Delilah or Jeremiah.
Unfortunately, there are no recorded historical references or famous individuals bearing the name Kaleiah from ancient times or even the recent past. This name seems to be a contemporary creation, perhaps inspired by the growing trend of combining various linguistic elements to produce unique and melodic names.
While the name's precise origins remain unclear, its blend of different cultural influences gives it a distinct and intriguing quality. As a relatively new name, Kaleiah has yet to establish a significant historical legacy, but its unique sound and potential for multiple derivations make it an interesting addition to the modern naming landscape.
People
Kaleiah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaleiah 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
Kaleiah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaleiah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 260 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaleiah 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 1,318,286 US residents.
Is Kaleiah a common name?
We classify Kaleiah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 262 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaleiah most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaleiah was 2021, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaleiah 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 Kaleiah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kaleiah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaleiah 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.
Is Kaleiah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kaleiah 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 Kaleiah 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 Kaleiah?
Find out how many people have the name Kaleiah on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.