Kayston
A modern name suggesting fortification or a castle on a hill.
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the first name Kayston. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kayston today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kayston births was 2017 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kayston. 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
125
~ 1 in 2,742,035 Americans
Peak year
2017
14 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,478
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Kayston: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kayston from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 77 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kayston remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kayston 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 Kayston 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 Kayston
The name Kayston originates from the Old English language, with its roots tracing back to the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th century AD. It is a compound name, derived from the Old English words "cæg" meaning "key" and "tun" meaning "town" or "settlement." The combination of these two words suggests a connection to a place or settlement known for its strategic location or importance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kayston can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is mentioned in connection with a village or manor in the county of Dorset, indicating its use as a place name during the Norman period.
In the 12th century, a monk named Kayston of Bury St. Edmunds (c. 1120 - c. 1190) gained recognition for his scholarly works, particularly his commentary on the Book of Revelation. His writings demonstrate the use of the name as a personal name during the Middle Ages.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure named Kayston Smythe (1480 - 1548) was a renowned architect and stonemason who played a significant role in the construction of several notable buildings, including the Hampton Court Palace in London.
In the 17th century, a Scottish nobleman named Kayston MacGregor (1620 - 1690) was a prominent figure in the Jacobite risings, leading his clan in support of the deposed King James VII of Scotland and II of England.
Another historical figure bearing the name Kayston was Kayston Browne (1725 - 1805), an English poet and dramatist who gained acclaim for his satirical works and plays during the Age of Enlightenment.
While the name Kayston may have fallen out of common usage in recent centuries, it remains a unique and intriguing name with a rich historical background rooted in the Anglo-Saxon tradition.
People
Kayston + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kayston 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
Kayston: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kayston?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 125 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kayston 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 2,742,035 US residents.
Is Kayston a common name?
We classify Kayston as "Very Rare". It ranks above 67.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 126 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kayston most popular?
The single biggest year for Kayston was 2017, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kayston is about 8 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 Kayston in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kayston a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kayston 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 Kayston still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kayston 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 Kayston 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 Kayston?
See how many people have the name Kayston on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.