Kashiff
A masculine Arabic name signifying "revealer" or "discoverer".
Name Census estimates that about 7 living Americans carry the first name Kashiff. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kashiff today is around 40 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kashiff births was 1984 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kashiff. 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 Kashiff. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
7
~ 1 in 48,964,905 Americans
Peak year
1984
7 babies that year
Average age
40
years old
1984 SSA rank
#5,270
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Kashiff: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kashiff 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 Kashiff during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kashiff
The name Kashiff has its origins in the Arabic language and is believed to have been derived from the word "kashf," which means "to reveal" or "to discover." This name has a rich cultural heritage and can be traced back to the early Islamic era.
In Arabic, the name Kashiff is often associated with the concept of unveiling or revealing the truth, which aligns with the spiritual and intellectual pursuits that were highly valued in the Islamic world during the medieval period. The name may have been given to individuals who were known for their wisdom, insight, or contributions to the pursuit of knowledge.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Kashiff can be found in the works of renowned Islamic scholars and philosophers. For example, Al-Kashiff, a prominent Arabic lexicographer and grammarian who lived in the 10th century, wrote extensively on the Arabic language and its intricacies.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Kashiff. Among them is Khawaja Ghulam Farid Kashiff (1855-1901), a renowned Sufi saint and poet from the Indian subcontinent. His poetic works, which often explored spiritual themes, have left a lasting impact on the literary and cultural landscape of the region.
Another notable figure is Hakim Kashiff Khan (1610-1680), a Persian historian and biographer who served as a courtier under the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. His chronicles, such as the "Badshahnama," provide valuable insights into the cultural and political dynamics of the Mughal Empire.
In the field of music, Kashiff Saleem (1959-2016) was an American record producer and songwriter who achieved significant success in the 1980s and 1990s. He worked with numerous renowned artists, including Whitney Houston and Evelyn "Champagne" King, and his contributions to the music industry have been widely recognized.
Another notable figure is Kashif Siddiqi (born 1973), a Pakistani-American journalist and author known for his work on global security and counterterrorism. His book "The Red Mosque" shed light on the rise of extremism in Pakistan and received critical acclaim.
Lastly, Kashif Siddiqui (born 1986) is a renowned Pakistani cricketer who has represented his country in various international tournaments. His achievements as a talented all-rounder have earned him a place in the history of Pakistani cricket.
People
Kashiff + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kashiff 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
Kashiff: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kashiff?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 7 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kashiff 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 48,964,905 US residents.
Is Kashiff a common name?
We classify Kashiff as "Very Rare". It ranks above 23.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kashiff most popular?
The single biggest year for Kashiff was 1984, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kashiff is about 40 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 Kashiff in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kashiff a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kashiff 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 Kashiff still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kashiff 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 Kashiff 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 Americans are named Kashiff?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.