Ketra
An invented name of uncertain meaning, sometimes associated with vitality or energy.
Name Census estimates that about 233 living Americans carry the first name Ketra. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ketra today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ketra births was 1975 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ketra. 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
233
~ 1 in 1,471,049 Americans
Peak year
1975
19 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1999 SSA rank
#15,654
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Ketra: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ketra from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 125 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ketra 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 Ketra during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ketras live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ketra
The given name Ketra is believed to have its origins in the Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of ancient India. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "ketra," which means "field" or "domain." The name is thought to have emerged during the Vedic period, which lasted from around 1500 BCE to 500 BCE.
Ketra was a relatively uncommon name in ancient India, but it did appear in some historical texts and religious scriptures from that era. One notable mention is in the Mahabharata, a famous Sanskrit epic that dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, Ketra is mentioned as the name of a minor character, a warrior who fought in the great battle of Kurukshetra.
The earliest recorded individual with the name Ketra is believed to be a Buddhist monk who lived in the 5th century CE. This monk, known as Ketra Gupta, was a prominent figure in the Buddhist community of that time and is credited with establishing several monasteries and temples in the region that is now modern-day India and Nepal.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Ketra. One of the most famous was Ketra Nath Tiwari (1924-1987), an Indian politician and freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement. He served as a member of the Constituent Assembly of India and was later elected to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.
Another notable Ketra was Ketra Datt Pande (1892-1970), an Indian philosopher and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of Advaita Vedanta, a branch of Hindu philosophy. He was a professor at several prestigious universities in India and wrote several influential books on Vedanta philosophy.
In the realm of art and literature, Ketra Singh (1867-1937) was a renowned Indian poet and writer who wrote in the Punjabi language. He is considered one of the pioneers of modern Punjabi literature and is best known for his poetry collection "Sarada Sagar," which celebrated the beauty and culture of the Punjab region.
Ketra Yadav (1923-2013) was an Indian classical singer and exponent of the Khyal style of Hindustani classical music. She was awarded the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, for her contributions to the field of music.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Ketra, which has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit language and culture of India.
People
Ketra + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ketra 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
Ketra: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ketra?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 233 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ketra 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 1,471,049 US residents.
Is Ketra a common name?
We classify Ketra as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 255 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ketra most popular?
The single biggest year for Ketra was 1975, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ketra is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ketra a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ketra in the SSA data are female. 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.