Kayana
A feminine name of Native American origin meaning "little pathfinder".
Name Census estimates that about 1,057 living Americans carry the first name Kayana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kayana today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kayana births was 2008 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kayana. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 324,271 Americans
Peak year
2008
51 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,505
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Kayana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kayana from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 394 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kayana 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 Kayana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kayanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Kayana, while Pennsylvania, Ohio, Hawaii recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 18 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kayana
The given name Kayana has its origins rooted in the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the foundational tongue for many modern Indian languages. The name is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "kāya," which translates to "body" or "physical form." It is likely that the name Kayana was initially bestowed upon individuals to symbolize their physical beauty or to commemorate the significance of the human form.
During the ancient Vedic period in India, which spanned from approximately 1500 BCE to 600 BCE, the name Kayana was occasionally mentioned in various Hindu scriptures and sacred texts. Scholars have uncovered references to individuals bearing this name in the Upanishads, which are philosophical texts that delve into the nature of reality and the human condition.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Kayana was a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer who lived during the 5th century CE. His full name was Kayana Matanga, and he made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the areas of algebra and trigonometry. His works, such as the "Kayana-Sulba-Sutra," were widely studied and influenced subsequent generations of scholars.
In the 8th century CE, a prominent Indian philosopher and logician named Kayana Bhatta emerged. He was known for his expertise in the Nyaya school of Indian philosophy, which focused on logic, epistemology, and metaphysics. Kayana Bhatta's influential treatise, "Nyaya-Manjari," explored various philosophical concepts and became a seminal text in the field.
During the medieval period, a notable figure named Kayana Rishi gained recognition as a revered Hindu spiritual leader and sage. He is believed to have lived in the 12th century CE and was renowned for his wisdom and teachings on Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy.
In the realm of literature, Kayana Devi was a celebrated Indian poet who lived during the 16th century CE. Her poetic works, which often explored themes of love, devotion, and spirituality, were widely acclaimed and continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars and literature enthusiasts.
It is important to note that while the name Kayana has deep roots in Indian culture and history, its usage has transcended geographical boundaries over time. Individuals from various cultural backgrounds have adopted and embraced the name, contributing to its global diversity and significance.
People
Kayana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kayana 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
Kayana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kayana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,057 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kayana 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 324,271 US residents.
Is Kayana a common name?
We classify Kayana as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,078 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kayana most popular?
The single biggest year for Kayana was 2008, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kayana is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kayana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kayana 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.