Keethan
A variant spelling of the Indian name Kethan meaning "king".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Keethan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Keethan today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keethan births was 2011 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keethan. 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 Keethan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2011
5 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2011 SSA rank
#13,381
Tracked since 2011
Popularity
Keethan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Keethan 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 Keethan 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 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Keethan
The given name Keethan is believed to have its origins in the ancient Tamil language of southern India, dating back to around the 6th century BCE. It is derived from the Tamil word "keedhan," which means "one who conquers" or "victorious warrior." This name was likely given to male children born into warrior clans or noble families, with the hope that they would grow up to be brave and successful in battle.
In ancient Tamil literature, there are references to warriors and kings with names similar to Keethan, such as "Keethanar" or "Keethanathan." However, it is difficult to pinpoint the earliest recorded instance of the exact spelling "Keethan" due to the evolution of languages and variations in ancient texts.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Keethan was a Tamil prince who lived in the 9th century CE. He was renowned for his military prowess and is said to have led his kingdom to victory in several battles against neighboring kingdoms.
Another notable figure with the name Keethan was a 12th-century Tamil scholar and poet who authored several works on Tamil grammar, literature, and philosophy. His writings are still studied and revered in the Tamil literary tradition.
In the 16th century, there was a Keethan who was a skilled architect and sculptor, responsible for the construction and decoration of several temples and monuments in the Tamil Nadu region of India. His intricate carvings and architectural designs are still admired today.
During the 18th century, a Tamil warrior named Keethan rose to prominence as a leader in the resistance against British colonial rule. He is remembered as a brave and strategic fighter who inspired many to take up arms in the struggle for independence.
In more recent times, there was a Keethan who was a renowned Tamil musician and composer in the 20th century. He is credited with popularizing and preserving traditional Tamil folk music, and his compositions are still widely performed and appreciated.
While the name Keethan is not as common today as it once was, it still holds cultural significance and historical importance in the Tamil community, representing values of strength, victory, and artistic expression.
People
Keethan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keethan 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
Keethan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keethan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keethan 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Keethan a common name?
We classify Keethan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keethan most popular?
The single biggest year for Keethan was 2011, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keethan is about 15 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 Keethan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Keethan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keethan 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 Keethan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Keethan 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 Keethan 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 Keethan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.