Kalix
A feminine name with mythological Norse roots meaning "keeper of the keys".
Name Census estimates that about 267 living Americans carry the first name Kalix. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kalix today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kalix births was 2019 (34 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kalix. 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
267
~ 1 in 1,283,724 Americans
Peak year
2019
34 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,622
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Kalix: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kalix 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 145 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
Kalix 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 Kalix during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kalix' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kalix
The name Kalix is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia during the Viking Age (800-1050 AD). It is derived from the Old Norse word "kali," meaning "vessel" or "cup." The name was likely given to children with the hope that they would grow up to be strong and capable individuals, able to hold and carry important responsibilities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kalix can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of stories and historical accounts from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the Saga of Grettir the Strong, written around 1320, there is a character named Kalix Thorvaldsson, who was known for his bravery and strength in battle.
During the Middle Ages, the name Kalix was not widely used, but it did appear occasionally in historical records from various parts of Scandinavia. One notable individual was Kalix Gudmundsson, a Norwegian chieftain who lived in the late 12th century and played a role in the civil wars that plagued Norway at the time.
In the 16th century, the name gained some popularity among the Swedish nobility. Kalix Oxenstierna (1592-1654) was a Swedish Count and Lord High Chancellor, known for his contributions to the development of Sweden's legal system. Another prominent figure was Kalix Bielke (1612-1683), a Swedish military officer and statesman who served as Governor-General of Swedish Pomerania.
As the name spread beyond Scandinavia, it appeared in other parts of Europe and eventually made its way to the Americas. One notable bearer of the name was Kalix von Klenze (1784-1864), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in the United States, including the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
In more recent times, the name Kalix has been used by several artists and public figures, such as Kalix Kurichiya (born 1982), an Indian film actress and model, and Kalix Arne (born 1981), a Swedish singer and songwriter.
People
Kalix + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kalix 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
Kalix: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kalix?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 267 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kalix 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 1,283,724 US residents.
Is Kalix a common name?
We classify Kalix as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 269 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kalix most popular?
The single biggest year for Kalix was 2019, when 34 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kalix 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 Kalix in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kalix a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kalix 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 Kalix still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kalix 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 Kalix 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 Kalix as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the name Kalix on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.