Kasen
A Japanese given name meaning "long life".
Name Census estimates that about 10,808 living Americans carry the first name Kasen. It is a predominantly male name (98.9% of registrations). The average person named Kasen today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kasen births was 2019 (742 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kasen. 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
- • Although Kasen is used almost entirely for boys, the SSA data does show 118 girls registered with the name since 1880.
- • Kasen is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 11 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
11K
~ 1 in 31,713 Americans
Peak year
2019
742 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#554
Tracked since 1992
Gender
Gender distribution for Kasen
Kasen leans heavily male at 98.9% of total registrations, but 118 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kasen as a male name
- Ranked #554 in 2024
- 537 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (742 births)
Kasen as a female name
- Ranked #11,599 in 2020
- 8 female births in 2020
- Peak: 2010 (14 births)
Popularity
Kasen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kasen from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6,132 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kasen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kasen 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 Kasen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kasens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 44 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, California recorded the most babies named Kasen, while New Jersey, Wyoming, Alaska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 220 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kasen
The name Kasen has its origins in Japanese culture, believed to have emerged during the Heian period (794-1185 AD). It is derived from the Japanese words "ka," meaning "fragrance," and "sen," meaning "line" or "trail," suggesting a poetic interpretation of a fragrant trail or path.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kasen can be found in the classic Japanese poetry anthology, the "Kokin Wakashū," compiled in the early 10th century. Here, the name appears in the context of a poetic form known as the "kasen-renga," a collaborative linked verse form.
In the history of Japanese literature, Kasen Shikibu (circa 1025-1115) stands out as one of the most renowned female poets of the Heian period. Her poems are included in the prestigious "Gosenshū" anthology, and her work is celebrated for its elegance and emotional depth.
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), a Buddhist monk named Kasen Shōkō (1278-1357) gained recognition for his expertise in Zen Buddhism and his contributions to the development of the Rinzai school of Zen.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), Kasen Yoshizawa (1564-1637) was a notable samurai and military strategist who served under the powerful Tokugawa shogunate. His tactical prowess and loyalty earned him a prominent place in the annals of Japanese history.
Moving into the modern era, Kasen Nakano (1914-2003) was a Japanese painter and printmaker known for his innovative woodblock prints, which blended traditional techniques with contemporary themes and styles. His work has been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries around the world.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Kasen. While its precise origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, the name has left an indelible mark on Japanese culture and heritage.
People
Kasen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kasen 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
Kasen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kasen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10,808 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kasen 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 31,713 US residents.
Is Kasen a common name?
We classify Kasen as "Uncommon". It ranks above 97.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10,896 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kasen most popular?
The single biggest year for Kasen was 2019, when 742 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kasen is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kasen a male name?
Yes, 98.9% of people registered as Kasen 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.
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.