Kanav
A Sanskrit/Hindi masculine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "he who praises".
Name Census estimates that about 161 living Americans carry the first name Kanav. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kanav today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kanav births was 2012 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kanav. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kanav with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
161
~ 1 in 2,128,909 Americans
Peak year
2012
15 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,999
Tracked since 2006
Popularity
Kanav: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kanav 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 95 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kanav remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kanav 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 Kanav during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kanavs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kanav
The name Kanav has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the Sanskrit language. It is derived from the word "kana," which means "grain" or "particle." The name's earliest recorded use dates back to ancient Hindu texts and scriptures.
One of the earliest mentions of the name Kanav can be found in the Puranas, a vast collection of Hindu mythological and historical narratives. In these texts, Kanav is referred to as a sage or rishi, often associated with wisdom and knowledge. The name also appears in the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics, where it is associated with a character known for their virtues and spiritual enlightenment.
During the medieval period, the name Kanav gained popularity among Hindu communities across the Indian subcontinent. Several notable figures bore this name, including Kanav Pandita, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 12th century CE. His works, which included commentaries on ancient texts and poetic compositions, were highly influential in preserving and propagating the Sanskrit literary tradition.
Another prominent figure with the name Kanav was Kanav Gupta, a powerful ruler of the Gupta Empire in the 5th century CE. Under his reign, the Gupta Dynasty reached its zenith, and the subcontinent experienced a period of cultural and artistic renaissance. Kanav Gupta was known for his patronage of the arts, literature, and architecture, and his contributions to the development of Hindu philosophy and religion.
In more recent times, the name Kanav has been carried by several notable individuals, including Kanav Bhardwaj, an Indian cricketer who represented the national team in the early 2000s. Kanav Batra, an Indian actor and model, has also gained recognition for his roles in various television shows and films.
While the name Kanav has its roots in the Indian subcontinent, it has also found its way into other cultures and communities around the world, particularly among the Indian diaspora. However, its historical significance and cultural associations remain deeply rooted in the ancient Hindu traditions and narratives.
People
Kanav + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kanav 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
Kanav: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kanav?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 161 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kanav 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 2,128,909 US residents.
Is Kanav a common name?
We classify Kanav as "Very Rare". It ranks above 71.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 162 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kanav most popular?
The single biggest year for Kanav was 2012, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kanav is about 11 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 Kanav in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kanav a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kanav 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 Kanav still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kanav 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 Kanav 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 are called Kanav?
You can see how many Americans are named Kanav on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.