Kalpesh
A name of Indian origin meaning "imagination" or "imagination of the Creator".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Kalpesh. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kalpesh today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kalpesh births was 1980 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kalpesh. 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 Kalpesh. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1980
6 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1981 SSA rank
#5,872
Tracked since 1979
Census
Kalpesh in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 856 people with the first name Kalpesh, which placed it at #13,929 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#13,929
National first-name rank
People counted
856
856 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.3
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
96.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kalpesh
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kalpesh is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.9%) and Black (0.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Kalpesh described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Kalpesh at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander96.4% · 825
- White1.9% · 16
- Black or African American0.8% · 7
- Two or more races0.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Popularity
Kalpesh: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kalpesh from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 12 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
Kalpesh 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 Kalpesh during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kalpesh
The given name Kalpesh originates from the Sanskrit language, which has its roots in ancient India. The name is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit words "kalpa," meaning "ritual" or "age," and "isha," which translates to "lord" or "master." Thus, the name Kalpesh can be interpreted as "Lord of the Age" or "Master of Rituals."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kalpesh can be traced back to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, where it is mentioned in reference to a character named Kalpesh Rishi, a revered sage known for his profound wisdom and spiritual teachings. This ancient text, which dates back to around the 8th century BCE, highlights the name's deep-rooted connection with Indian mythology and spirituality.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kalpesh. One of the earliest known figures was Kalpesh Chandra (1050-1125 CE), a renowned scholar and poet from the Pala Empire in Bengal, India. His literary contributions, particularly in the field of Sanskrit poetry, earned him widespread recognition and respect during his lifetime.
Another prominent figure was Kalpesh Deva (1275-1335 CE), a skilled architect and engineer who played a significant role in the construction of several iconic monuments during the Delhi Sultanate period. His masterful designs and innovative architectural techniques left a lasting impact on the Indian architectural landscape.
In more recent times, Kalpesh Lathigra (1932-2018) was a prominent Indian painter and artist, renowned for his vibrant and expressive works that captured the essence of Indian cultural heritage and traditions. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries across the world and are highly regarded within the art community.
Kalpesh Mehta (1945-2010) was a celebrated Indian film director and screenwriter, known for his thought-provoking and socially conscious movies. His films often explored complex themes and shed light on societal issues, earning him critical acclaim and numerous awards throughout his career.
Kalpesh Patel (born 1972) is a contemporary figure, recognized as a spiritual leader and founder of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, an organization dedicated to promoting peace, harmony, and human values. His teachings and philanthropic efforts have inspired millions of people worldwide, and he continues to be an influential voice in the realm of spirituality and personal growth.
People
Kalpesh + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kalpesh 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
Kalpesh: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kalpesh?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kalpesh 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Kalpesh a common name?
We classify Kalpesh as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 17 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kalpesh most popular?
The single biggest year for Kalpesh was 1980, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kalpesh is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Kalpesh in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 856 people with the name Kalpesh, or 0.28 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #13,929 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Kalpesh in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Kalpesh?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Kalpesh appears almost entirely male. Of the 860 people counted with this name, 99.8% were male and only a very small share were female. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Kalpesh?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kalpesh is Asian/Pacific Islander at 96.4%. The next largest groups are White (1.9%) and Black (0.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Kalpesh most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Kalpesh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (825 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Kalpesh in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kalpesh a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kalpesh 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 Kalpesh still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kalpesh 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 Kalpesh 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.
How common is the name Kalpesh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.