Khalei
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "brilliant" or "radiant".
Name Census estimates that about 41 living Americans carry the first name Khalei. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 82.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Khalei today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Khalei births was 2013 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Khalei. 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 Khalei. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
41
~ 1 in 8,359,862 Americans
Peak year
2013
7 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2013 SSA rank
#10,238
Tracked since 2012
Gender
Gender distribution for Khalei
Khalei leans heavily female at 82.9% of total registrations, but 7 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Khalei as a male name
- Ranked #10,238 in 2013
- 7 male births in 2013
- Peak: 2013 (7 births)
Khalei as a female name
- Ranked #14,310 in 2023
- 6 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2021 (7 births)
Popularity
Khalei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Khalei from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 23 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Khalei remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Khalei 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 Khalei 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 Khalei
The name Khalei is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the southern regions of Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq. The name is thought to be derived from the Sumerian words "khal," meaning "to endure," and "ei," meaning "life." Therefore, the name Khalei could be interpreted as "enduring life" or "long-lived."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Khalei can be found in cuneiform inscriptions from the city-state of Uruk, dating back to around 2500 BCE. These inscriptions were discovered during archaeological excavations in the region and provide valuable insights into the naming practices of the Sumerian civilization.
In ancient Sumerian mythology, there are references to a minor deity or spirit called Khalei, who was believed to be associated with longevity and good health. While the exact role and significance of this deity are not entirely clear, it is possible that the name Khalei gained popularity among the Sumerians due to its connection with these attributes.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Khalei. One of the earliest known individuals was Khalei of Ur, a high priestess who lived in the city of Ur during the reign of King Shulgi, around 2094-2047 BCE. Khalei of Ur was renowned for her wisdom and influence in religious matters, and her name is mentioned in various temple records from that era.
Another prominent figure with the name Khalei was a Sumerian scribe and scholar who lived during the Old Babylonian period, around 1800 BCE. Known as Khalei the Wise, he was renowned for his contributions to the field of literature and his extensive knowledge of Sumerian and Akkadian languages.
During the Achaemenid Persian Empire, which ruled from 550 BCE to 330 BCE, there was a notable military commander named Khalei, who served under King Darius I. Khalei played a crucial role in the Persian conquest of Egypt, and his name is recorded in the Behistun Inscription, a multilingual inscription commissioned by Darius I to commemorate his victories.
In the ancient Greek world, there was a philosopher and mathematician from the city of Miletus named Khalei, who lived around the 5th century BCE. He is credited with making significant contributions to the field of geometry and is believed to have influenced the works of other renowned Greek philosophers, such as Plato and Aristotle.
Another notable figure with the name Khalei was a Persian poet and mystic who lived during the 12th century CE. Known as Khalei al-Rumi, he was part of the Sufi tradition and is renowned for his poetry, which explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human experience.
While the name Khalei may not be as widely used today as it once was, its rich history and connections to ancient civilizations and prominent figures make it a fascinating and meaningful name with deep roots in human culture and tradition.
People
Khalei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Khalei 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
Khalei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Khalei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 41 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Khalei 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 8,359,862 US residents.
Is Khalei a common name?
We classify Khalei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 41 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Khalei most popular?
The single biggest year for Khalei was 2013, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Khalei is about 8 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 Khalei in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Khalei a female name?
Yes, 82.9% of people registered as Khalei 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.
Is Khalei still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Khalei 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 Khalei 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 Americans are named Khalei?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.