Kemen
A name of Turkish origin meaning "arrowhead" or "sharp".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Kemen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kemen today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kemen births was 2017 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kemen. 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 Kemen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2017
6 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#11,509
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Kemen: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kemen 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 Kemen 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 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kemen
The name Kemen has its origins in the Turkic languages, specifically in the Kazakh and Kyrgyz cultures of Central Asia, dating back several centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Old Turkic word "kemen," which means "strong" or "mighty." The name is a reflection of the nomadic and warrior-like traditions of these ancient Turkic peoples.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kemen can be found in the "Divan Lughat al-Turk," a comprehensive dictionary of Turkic languages compiled by the renowned scholar Mahmud al-Kashgari in the 11th century. This work contains references to individuals bearing the name, indicating its usage during that time period.
Throughout history, the name Kemen has been associated with several notable figures. One of the most prominent was Kemen Khan, a powerful ruler of the Kazakh Khanate in the 16th century, who played a significant role in uniting the Kazakh tribes and establishing a strong centralized government.
Another historical figure with the name Kemen was a renowned poet and philosopher from the 12th century, known as Kemen al-Samarkandi. His works, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, were widely acclaimed and influential in the region.
In the realm of religious and spiritual leaders, Kemen Khoja was a revered Sufi mystic and teacher from the 17th century, whose teachings and writings continue to be studied and revered by followers of Sufism in Central Asia.
The name Kemen also appears in ancient epics and oral traditions of the Turkic peoples, such as the "Epic of Manas," where it is associated with heroic warriors and noble leaders. These tales have been passed down through generations, preserving the cultural significance of the name.
Other notable individuals with the name Kemen include Kemen Sadykov, a prominent 20th-century Kazakh writer and poet, and Kemen Akhmetkalieva, a celebrated Kyrgyz actress and cultural figure of the Soviet era.
While the name Kemen may not be as widely used today as it once was, it remains a powerful and evocative name that carries the weight of a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the ancient traditions of the Turkic peoples of Central Asia.
People
Kemen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kemen 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
Kemen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kemen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kemen 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Kemen a common name?
We classify Kemen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kemen most popular?
The single biggest year for Kemen was 2017, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kemen is about 9 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 Kemen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kemen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kemen 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 Kemen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kemen 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 Kemen 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 Kemen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.