Kesean
A masculine name of Irish origin meaning "modern" or "bold".
Name Census estimates that about 1,209 living Americans carry the first name Kesean. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kesean today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kesean births was 2001 (85 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kesean. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 283,502 Americans
Peak year
2001
85 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,638
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Kesean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kesean from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 691 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kesean 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 Kesean during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keseans live
The SSA's state-level files cover 15 states and territories. Texas, Illinois, California recorded the most babies named Kesean, while Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 21 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kesean
The given name Kesean has its origins in the Celtic languages spoken in ancient Britain and Ireland. It is derived from the Old Irish word "cíosán," which means "small tax" or "tribute." This name was likely given to children born into families of tax collectors or landowners who received tributes.
In the early medieval period, the name Kesean appeared in various Irish and Welsh genealogical records and annals. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Kesean mac Fergusa, a 6th-century Irish prince from the Kingdom of Dál Riata, which spanned parts of modern-day Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The name Kesean gained wider recognition in the 11th century with the birth of Kesean Ua Máele Choluim (died 1073), an Irish king of the Cenél nEógain dynasty in Ulster. His exploits were documented in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history.
During the 12th century, the name Kesean was relatively common among the ruling classes of Ireland and Wales. One notable figure was Kesean ap Rhys (1132-1197), a Welsh prince and leader of the Kingdom of Deheubarth in southern Wales.
In the 15th century, the name Kesean gained prominence in Scotland with the birth of Kesean MacDonald (1435-1498), a Scottish clan chief and Lord of the Isles. He played a significant role in the power struggles between the Scottish monarchy and the Highland clans.
Fast forward to the 19th century, and we find Kesean O'Doherty (1821-1895), an Irish journalist and writer who founded and edited several newspapers in Dublin. He was a prominent figure in the Irish literary scene and advocated for Irish nationalism.
Throughout history, the name Kesean has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds, including nobility, writers, and political figures. While its popularity has fluctuated over time, it remains a distinctive name with deep roots in the Celtic cultures of the British Isles.
People
Kesean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kesean 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
Kesean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kesean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,209 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kesean 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 283,502 US residents.
Is Kesean a common name?
We classify Kesean as "Rare". It ranks above 91.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,226 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kesean most popular?
The single biggest year for Kesean was 2001, when 85 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kesean is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kesean a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kesean 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.
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.