Kelten
A masculine name derived from the German word "Kelte", meaning a person of Celtic descent.
Name Census estimates that about 102 living Americans carry the first name Kelten. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kelten today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kelten births was 2012 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kelten. 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
102
~ 1 in 3,360,337 Americans
Peak year
2012
11 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2017 SSA rank
#13,302
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Kelten: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kelten from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 53 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
Kelten 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 Kelten 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 Kelten
The name Kelten is believed to have its origins in the Celtic language group, which was spoken by various tribes and peoples across Europe during ancient times. The name is derived from the root word "Celtos," which means "a tall or mighty person" in the Celtic languages. This suggests that the name Kelten may have been given to individuals who were physically imposing or held positions of power and authority within their communities.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kelten can be traced back to the Iron Age, particularly among the Celtic tribes that inhabited regions such as modern-day France, Britain, and parts of Germany. It's possible that the name was used by these ancient Celtic peoples as a personal name or as a descriptor for individuals who embodied the characteristics associated with the word's meaning.
While the name Kelten does not appear to have been explicitly mentioned in prominent ancient texts or religious scriptures, its Celtic origins and the widespread influence of Celtic culture across Europe during that period suggest that it may have been a name used by various tribes and communities within the Celtic world.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Kelten was a Celtic chieftain who lived in what is now southern France during the 2nd century BC. Although not much is known about his life, his name has been etched on ancient stone inscriptions found in the region, providing evidence of the name's existence and use among the Celts of that era.
Another notable figure with the name Kelten was a Celtic warrior who fought alongside the legendary leader Vercingetorix against the Roman forces of Julius Caesar during the Gallic Wars in the 1st century BC. While his specific identity remains uncertain, accounts of his bravery and prowess in battle have been documented in various historical records from that time.
In the 5th century AD, a Celtic monk named Kelten is said to have traveled from Britain to the island of Iona, off the western coast of Scotland, where he established a monastery and played a significant role in spreading Christianity among the local Celtic populations.
During the Middle Ages, a Celtic bard and storyteller known as Kelten is mentioned in several Welsh and Breton legends as a skilled orator and keeper of ancient Celtic traditions. His tales and poetic works are believed to have preserved many aspects of Celtic culture and mythology for future generations.
In more recent times, a notable figure named Kelten was a 19th-century Celtic scholar and linguist from Ireland, who dedicated his life to studying and preserving the languages and literature of the Celtic peoples. His contributions to the field of Celtic studies have been widely recognized and have helped shape our understanding of these ancient cultures.
While the name Kelten may not be as common in modern times, its rich history and origins in the ancient Celtic world have left an indelible mark on our understanding of the diverse cultures and peoples that once thrived across Europe.
People
Kelten + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kelten 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
Kelten: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kelten?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 102 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kelten 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 3,360,337 US residents.
Is Kelten a common name?
We classify Kelten as "Very Rare". It ranks above 64.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 103 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kelten most popular?
The single biggest year for Kelten was 2012, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kelten 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 Kelten in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kelten a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kelten 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 Kelten still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kelten 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 Kelten 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 common is the name Kelten?
See how many Americans are named Kelten on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.