Kheelan
A variant spelling of the Gaelic surname name Keelan meaning bright-headed.
Name Census estimates that about 8 living Americans carry the first name Kheelan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kheelan today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kheelan births was 2016 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kheelan. 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 Kheelan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
8
~ 1 in 42,844,292 Americans
Peak year
2016
8 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2016 SSA rank
#9,308
Tracked since 2016
Popularity
Kheelan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kheelan 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 Kheelan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 8 | 0 | 8 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kheelan
The given name Kheelan originates from the Persian language and is believed to have its roots in the ancient Zoroastrian culture of Persia, dating back to the 6th century BCE. It is derived from the Old Persian word "khel," which means "wisdom" or "knowledge."
In the early days of Zoroastrianism, the name Kheelan was associated with scholars, philosophers, and those who pursued intellectual pursuits. It was seen as a name bestowed upon individuals who possessed a deep understanding of the world around them and a thirst for knowledge.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Kheelan can be traced back to the Avestan texts, which are the sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism. These ancient texts mention a wise sage named Kheelan, who was revered for his profound insights and teachings.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kheelan. One of the most famous was Kheelan ibn al-Khammar (870-950 CE), a renowned Persian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of algebra and the development of the astrolabe.
Another historical figure of note was Kheelan al-Hafiz (1010-1088 CE), a Persian poet and scholar renowned for his mastery of the Arabic language and his profound works of poetry that explored themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition.
In the 13th century, Kheelan al-Tabari (1210-1285 CE) was a celebrated Persian physician and philosopher who wrote extensively on the subjects of medicine, ethics, and metaphysics, leaving a lasting impact on the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the Renaissance period, Kheelan ibn Sina (980-1037 CE), also known as Avicenna, was a Persian polymath who made groundbreaking contributions to the fields of medicine, philosophy, and science. His works, such as "The Canon of Medicine," became highly influential and were widely studied throughout the Islamic world and Europe.
In more recent times, Kheelan Nanavati (1920-2003) was an Indian Navy officer who gained notoriety for his involvement in the infamous Nanavati case, a high-profile criminal trial that captivated the nation and sparked debates about morality, justice, and the social norms of the time.
People
Kheelan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kheelan 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
Kheelan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kheelan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 8 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kheelan 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 42,844,292 US residents.
Is Kheelan a common name?
We classify Kheelan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 24.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 8 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kheelan most popular?
The single biggest year for Kheelan was 2016, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kheelan is about 10 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 Kheelan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kheelan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kheelan 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 Kheelan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kheelan 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 Kheelan 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 Kheelan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.