Kelman
An English masculine name meaning "comrade from the narrow valley".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kelman. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kelman today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kelman births was 2008 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kelman. 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 Kelman. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2008
5 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2008 SSA rank
#13,631
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Kelman: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kelman 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 Kelman during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kelman
The name Kelman is believed to have its origins in the Scottish Gaelic language, derived from the words "caol" and "manaich," meaning "narrow" and "monk" respectively. It is thought to have first emerged in the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, in the Scottish Highlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kelman can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient Irish chronicle that dates back to the 15th century. The name appears in reference to a Scottish chieftain who lived in the late 13th century.
In the 16th century, a notable figure named Kelman MacLean was a prominent leader of the MacLean clan, a powerful Scottish family based on the Isle of Mull. He played a significant role in the clan's military and political affairs during the tumultuous period of the Scottish Reformation.
In the 17th century, a Scottish Covenanter named Kelman Strang was a key figure in the religious and political struggles of that era. He was a staunch Presbyterian and actively opposed the efforts of the Stuart monarchs to impose Episcopalian practices on the Church of Scotland.
Moving into the 18th century, Kelman Gillespie was a Scottish architect renowned for his work in the Georgian style. He designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, including the Merchant's Hall and the Assembly Rooms.
In the 19th century, Kelman Buchan was a Scottish poet and journalist who wrote extensively about the culture and landscapes of the Highlands. His works, such as "The Lay of the Isles" and "The Highlands and Islands of Scotland," captured the spirit and traditions of his native region.
Throughout its history, the name Kelman has maintained a strong connection to its Scottish roots, with many bearers hailing from the Highlands and Islands. While not as widespread as some other Scottish names, it has endured as a distinctive and culturally significant moniker.
People
Kelman + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kelman 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
Kelman: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kelman?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kelman 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 Kelman a common name?
We classify Kelman 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 Kelman most popular?
The single biggest year for Kelman was 2008, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kelman is about 18 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 Kelman in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kelman a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kelman 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 Kelman still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kelman 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 Kelman 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 Kelman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.