Kayia
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially related to the French form Kaie.
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the first name Kayia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kayia today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kayia births was 1990 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kayia. 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
124
~ 1 in 2,764,148 Americans
Peak year
1990
12 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2014 SSA rank
#17,867
Tracked since 1983
Census
Kayia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 204 people with the first name Kayia, which placed it at #37,948 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#37,948
National first-name rank
People counted
204
204 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
38.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kayia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kayia is Black at 38.7%. The next largest groups are White (33.8%) and Hispanic (9.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Kayia described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Kayia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American38.7% · 79
- White33.8% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 20
- Two or more races7.4% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.9% · 8
Popularity
Kayia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kayia from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 59 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
Kayia 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 Kayia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kayia
The given name Kayia is believed to have originated from the Arabic language, with its roots traced back to the Middle Eastern region during the medieval period. The name is thought to be derived from the Arabic word "qawiya," which translates to "strong" or "powerful." This suggests that Kayia was initially bestowed upon individuals with the intention of imbuing them with strength and resilience.
Historically, the name Kayia has been associated with various Islamic texts and traditions. One notable reference can be found in the Qur'an, where the word "qawiya" is mentioned in several verses, often in the context of emphasizing the might and power of Allah. This connection likely contributed to the name's popularity among Muslim communities throughout the centuries.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kayia can be traced back to the 10th century, where it appeared in various historical documents and records from the Middle East. One notable individual bearing the name was Kayia al-Qadiri, a renowned Islamic scholar and poet who lived during the 11th century in present-day Iraq. Her poetic works exploring themes of spirituality and devotion have left a lasting impact on Arabic literature.
Another prominent figure with the name Kayia was Kayia bint Idris, a medieval Andalusian princess who lived in the 12th century. She was known for her patronage of the arts and her influence in the court of the Almoravid dynasty, which ruled over parts of modern-day Spain and Portugal during that time.
In the 13th century, Kayia al-Hafiz emerged as a prominent Islamic jurist and legal scholar in Damascus. Her contributions to the field of Islamic jurisprudence and her expertise in Hadith (prophetic traditions) earned her a respected reputation among her contemporaries.
Moving forward to the 15th century, Kayia al-Maqdisi was a renowned calligrapher and illuminator of manuscripts from Jerusalem. Her exquisite calligraphic works and intricate illuminations adorned numerous Islamic texts, showcasing her artistic mastery and earning her widespread acclaim.
Another notable figure bearing the name Kayia was Kayia bint Sultan, a 16th-century Ottoman princess and poet. Her literary works, which often explored themes of love, spirituality, and the complexities of human existence, garnered widespread admiration across the Ottoman Empire.
These historical figures, spanning various centuries and regions, exemplify the rich heritage and legacy associated with the name Kayia. While its origins can be traced to the Arabic language and Islamic traditions, the name has transcended cultural boundaries and left an indelible mark on history through the accomplishments of those who bore it.
People
Kayia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kayia 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
Kayia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kayia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 124 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kayia 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 2,764,148 US residents.
Is Kayia a common name?
We classify Kayia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 128 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kayia most popular?
The single biggest year for Kayia was 1990, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kayia is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Kayia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 204 people with the name Kayia, or 0.07 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #37,948 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Kayia in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Kayia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Kayia leans strongly female. 195 people counted with this name were female (97.0%), compared with 6 male bearers (3.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Kayia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kayia is Black at 38.7%. The next largest groups are White (33.8%) and Hispanic (9.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Kayia most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Kayia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 38.7% (79 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Kayia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kayia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kayia 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.
Is Kayia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kayia 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 Kayia 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.
How many people are called Kayia?
You can see how many Americans are named Kayia on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.