Kassel
A feminine name derived from the German city of Kassel.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Kassel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kassel today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kassel births was 2016 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kassel. 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 Kassel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2016
6 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#11,452
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Kassel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kassel 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 Kassel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kassel
The name Kassel is rooted in the German language and culture, originating from the city of Kassel located in the northern part of the German state of Hesse. The name is believed to have evolved from the Old German word "Kasselaha," which translates to "water with little woodland."
Historically, the name Kassel can be traced back to the 8th century, when the city was first mentioned in a document as "Chassalla." Over the centuries, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as "Chassele," "Chassalla," and "Cassel," before settling on the modern spelling of "Kassel."
While the name Kassel is not directly associated with any religious scriptures or ancient texts, it has been present in historical records throughout the ages. One notable figure bearing the name was Jacob Grimm, the renowned German philologist and co-author of the iconic Grimm's Fairy Tales, who was born in Kassel in 1785.
Another prominent individual with the name Kassel was Johann Sebastianbach, a German composer and organist born in Kassel in 1685. He is celebrated for his contributions to the Baroque music era and for his influential work as a kapellmeister in the city of Kassel.
In the realm of science, Wilhelm Eduard Weber, a German physicist born in Kassel in 1804, made significant contributions to the study of electromagnetism and the development of the first electromagnetic telegraph.
Another noteworthy figure was Karl Gerhardt, a German chemist born in Kassel in 1833, who is renowned for his pioneering work in organic chemistry and his contributions to the theory of types.
Lastly, the name Kassel was also borne by Paul Natorp, a German philosopher and educator born in Kassel in 1854, who was a prominent figure in the Neo-Kantian movement and made significant contributions to the field of pedagogy.
These are just a few examples of historical figures who carried the name Kassel, showcasing its enduring presence throughout the centuries and across various disciplines.
People
Kassel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kassel 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
Kassel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kassel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kassel 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Kassel a common name?
We classify Kassel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kassel most popular?
The single biggest year for Kassel was 2016, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kassel is about 10 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 Kassel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kassel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kassel 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 Kassel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kassel 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 Kassel 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 common is the name Kassel?
See how many people have the name Kassel on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.