Kanika
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "the smallest one".
Name Census estimates that about 1,172 living Americans carry the first name Kanika. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kanika today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kanika births was 1978 (95 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kanika. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 292,453 Americans
Peak year
1978
95 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,285
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Kanika: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kanika from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 500 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kanika 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 Kanika during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kanikas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 16 states and territories. New York, California, Michigan recorded the most babies named Kanika, while New Jersey, Mississippi, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kanika
The name Kanika has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was predominant in ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "kanak," which means gold or golden. The name is believed to have been in use as early as the 6th century BC during the Vedic period in India.
Kanika was a common name given to girls in Hindu families, particularly in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. The name was often associated with beauty, prosperity, and radiance, reflecting the cultural significance of gold in Indian society.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kanika can be found in the ancient Hindu text, the Mahabharata. In this epic, Kanika was the name of a Naga princess, known for her beauty and courage.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kanika. One of the earliest was Kanika, a 7th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer known for her contributions to the development of the Hindu calendar.
Another prominent figure was Kanika Devi, a 10th-century Indian ruler and warrior queen who governed the Kanika Kingdom in present-day Odisha, India. She was renowned for her military prowess and her patronage of arts and literature.
In the 12th century, Kanika was the name of a Sanskrit poet and scholar who authored several works on grammar and poetics. Her writings were influential in the literary circles of medieval India.
Moving forward to the 20th century, Kanika Mukherjee was an Indian freedom fighter and social activist who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. She was born in 1904 and dedicated her life to promoting women's rights and education.
Lastly, Kanika Kapoor is a contemporary Indian singer and songwriter, born in 1978, who has gained popularity for her versatile voice and contributions to Bollywood music.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Kanika, highlighting its rich cultural heritage and enduring presence across various eras and regions.
People
Kanika + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kanika 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
Kanika: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kanika?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,172 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kanika 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 292,453 US residents.
Is Kanika a common name?
We classify Kanika as "Rare". It ranks above 91.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,248 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kanika most popular?
The single biggest year for Kanika was 1978, when 95 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kanika is about 40 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kanika a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kanika 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.