Keben
An Arabic name meaning "large" or "great".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Keben. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Keben today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keben births was 2010 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keben. 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 Keben. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2010
7 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2010 SSA rank
#10,238
Tracked since 2003
Popularity
Keben: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keben from the 2000s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 7 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keben 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 Keben 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 Keben
The name Keben is an ancient name with roots in various cultures and languages. It is believed to have originated from the Sumerian word "kebenu," which means "to honor" or "to revere." The earliest recorded use of this name can be traced back to the Mesopotamian region around 2500 BCE.
In ancient Sumerian texts, Keben was mentioned as the name of a high-ranking official or priest in the city of Ur. This suggests that the name was associated with religious or spiritual significance in the early Sumerian civilization.
As time passed, the name Keben spread to other regions and cultures. In ancient Egypt, there are records of a vizier named Keben who served under Pharaoh Ramesses II around 1279-1213 BCE. This vizier was known for his wisdom and administrative skills, further cementing the name's association with honor and respect.
In ancient Greece, the name Keben was sometimes used as a variant of the name Kaiven, which was derived from the Greek word "kainos," meaning "new" or "fresh." This connection implied a sense of renewal or new beginnings.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Keben was a Persian scholar and philosopher who lived in the 6th century BCE. He was known for his writings on ethics and moral philosophy, further reinforcing the name's association with wisdom and virtue.
During the Middle Ages, the name Keben appeared in various European regions. In the 11th century, there was a prominent Keben who served as a bishop in England and was known for his efforts in promoting education and religious reforms.
Another notable figure was Keben the Scribe, a 13th-century calligrapher and illuminator from Italy. His exceptional skills in creating beautifully illuminated manuscripts earned him great acclaim and contributed to the preservation of ancient texts.
In the 16th century, there was a Keben who was a renowned explorer and navigator from Portugal. He was part of several expeditions to Africa and the Americas, contributing to the expansion of geographic knowledge during the Age of Exploration.
The name Keben also has a presence in literature. In the 19th century, there was a Keben who was a celebrated poet and writer from France. His works explored themes of love, nature, and the human condition, earning him a place in the literary canon of his time.
While the name Keben may not be as common today, its rich history spans various cultures, time periods, and fields of endeavor. From ancient religious figures to scholars, explorers, and artists, the name has been associated with honor, wisdom, and a sense of reverence throughout the ages.
People
Keben + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keben 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
Keben: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keben?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keben 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Keben a common name?
We classify Keben as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keben most popular?
The single biggest year for Keben was 2010, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keben is about 19 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 Keben in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keben a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keben 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 Keben still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keben 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 Keben 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 people are named Keben?
Find out how many people share the name Keben on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.