Kerven
An invented masculine name, possibly of French origin meaning "to carve".
Name Census estimates that about 21 living Americans carry the first name Kerven. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kerven today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kerven births was 1991 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kerven. 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 Kerven. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
21
~ 1 in 16,321,635 Americans
Peak year
1991
7 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1997 SSA rank
#10,076
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Kerven: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kerven from the 1980s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 17 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
Kerven 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 Kerven during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kervens live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kerven
The given name Kerven is believed to have its origins in the ancient Celtic languages spoken across parts of Europe and the British Isles. The name is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic root "kerv", which meant "to turn" or "to bend". This root is also found in words related to carving and crafting, suggesting that the name may have been associated with skilled artisans or craftspeople.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kerven can be found in ancient Gaulish inscriptions dating back to the 3rd century BCE. These inscriptions were discovered in what is now modern-day France and provide evidence of the name's use among the Gauls, a group of Celtic tribes that inhabited the region.
In the early medieval period, the name Kerven appears in various historical records and chronicles across Europe. For instance, a Kerven of Northumbria is mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of annals documenting the history of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain from the late 9th century.
The name Kerven also appears in Irish and Welsh literature from the Middle Ages. In the Irish epic "The Cattle Raid of Cooley", one of the central characters is a warrior named Kerven mac Nera, who fought alongside the legendary hero Cú Chulainn. Additionally, in the Welsh tales of the Mabinogion, there is a reference to a figure named Kerven ap Gwalchmai, who was said to be a skilled archer and hunter.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kerven. One such person was Kerven the Scribe, a medieval Irish monk who lived in the 9th century and is credited with authoring various religious texts and historical accounts.
Another notable figure was Kerven of Munster, a 12th-century Irish king and warrior who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Gaelic kingdoms of Ireland and the Anglo-Norman invaders.
In the 14th century, there was a Kerven of Arles, a French poet and troubadour who was renowned for his lyrical compositions and contributions to the development of Occitan literature.
During the Renaissance period, Kerven Montfort, an Italian artist and sculptor from the 16th century, gained recognition for his intricate woodcarvings and religious statuary.
Lastly, in the 19th century, Kerven Ellsworth was an American explorer and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in the western United States.
People
Kerven + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kerven 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
Kerven: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kerven?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 21 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kerven 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 16,321,635 US residents.
Is Kerven a common name?
We classify Kerven as "Very Rare". It ranks above 40.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 22 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kerven most popular?
The single biggest year for Kerven was 1991, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kerven is about 35 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 Kerven in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kerven a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kerven 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 Kerven still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kerven 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 Kerven 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 Kerven?
Want to know how many Americans are named Kerven? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.