Kharon
Kharon is a masculine name of Greek mythology origin meaning "ferryman who guides souls across the river Styx."
Name Census estimates that about 233 living Americans carry the first name Kharon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kharon today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kharon births was 2010 (14 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kharon. 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
2010
14 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,271
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Kharon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kharon 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 88 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
Kharon 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 Kharon 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 Kharon
The name Kharon is of ancient Greek origin, derived from the word "kharon," meaning "the ferryman." It is associated with the mythological figure Charon, who ferried the souls of the deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron into the underworld in Greek mythology.
The earliest recorded use of the name Kharon can be traced back to ancient Greek texts and literary works, such as the Odyssey by Homer and the Aeneid by Virgil. In these works, Charon is depicted as an aged boatman who ferries the souls of the dead across the rivers of the underworld for a small fee.
One of the earliest known historical figures with the name Kharon was Kharon of Lampsacus, a philosopher and student of Plato who lived in the 4th century BC. He is known for his work on the nature of the soul and its relationship with the body.
In the Renaissance period, the name Kharon was used by the Italian artist Michelangelo in his famous fresco "The Last Judgment" in the Sistine Chapel. The fresco depicts Charon ferrying the souls of the damned across the river Styx.
Another notable figure with the name Kharon was Kharon of Naucratis, a Greek explorer and merchant who lived in the 6th century BC. He is credited with establishing trade routes between Greece and Egypt, contributing to the cultural exchange between the two civilizations.
In more recent times, Kharon has been used as a given name by individuals with an interest in Greek mythology or with a connection to the classical world. For example, Kharon Khatchadourian was an Armenian-American artist and sculptor who lived from 1910 to 1989 and was known for his depictions of mythological themes.
While the name Kharon is not as common today as it once was, it remains a unique and historical name with deep roots in ancient Greek mythology and literature. Its association with the ferryman of the underworld and its use by notable figures throughout history make it a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Kharon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kharon 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
Kharon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kharon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 233 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kharon 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 Kharon a common name?
We classify Kharon 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, 236 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kharon most popular?
The single biggest year for Kharon was 2010, when 14 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kharon is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kharon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kharon 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.