Khye
An uncommon unisex name possibly derived from the Greek word "chaos".
Name Census estimates that about 148 living Americans carry the first name Khye. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Khye today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Khye births was 2014 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Khye. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Khye with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
148
~ 1 in 2,315,908 Americans
Peak year
2014
16 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,680
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Khye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Khye from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 93 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Khye 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 Khye 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 Khye
The name Khye is believed to have its origins in Ancient Egyptian culture, with its earliest recorded use dating back to around 2500 BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Egyptian word "khy," which means "to arise" or "to shine forth." This name was often given to children with the hope that they would grow to be radiant and successful individuals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Khye can be found in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, an ancient funerary text that served as a guide for the deceased in the afterlife. In this text, Khye is mentioned as the name of a minor deity associated with the rising sun and the renewal of life.
Throughout ancient Egyptian history, several notable individuals bore the name Khye. One such figure was Khye-ankh, a high-ranking official who served during the reign of Pharaoh Amenhotep III in the 14th century BCE. Another was Khye-nefer, a renowned architect who oversaw the construction of several significant monuments, including the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari.
Beyond ancient Egypt, the name Khye also appeared in other cultures and belief systems. In Hinduism, for instance, Khye was sometimes used as a variant spelling of the name "Khyati," which means "fame" or "renown." In this context, the name was often associated with goddesses and deities representing knowledge, wisdom, and enlightenment.
Historically, there have been several notable individuals named Khye, though records of their lives and accomplishments are often scarce or disputed. One such figure was Khye the Archon, a Greek philosopher and statesman who lived in the 7th century BCE and is credited with introducing democratic reforms in Athens. Another was Khye of Cyzicus, a 5th-century BCE Greek mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the understanding of celestial mechanics.
In more recent times, the name Khye has been less commonly used, but a few individuals have carried it with distinction. Khye Ramananda was an Indian spiritual leader and poet who lived in the 16th century and is revered for his devotional works. Khye Hosseini was an Afghan writer and activist who fought for women's rights and education in the early 20th century.
While the name Khye has ancient roots and a rich historical significance, its use has waned in modern times. Nevertheless, its connection to concepts of radiance, enlightenment, and renewal endures, making it a unique and meaningful choice for parents seeking a name with a deep cultural heritage.
People
Khye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Khye 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
Khye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Khye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 148 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Khye 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 2,315,908 US residents.
Is Khye a common name?
We classify Khye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 149 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Khye most popular?
The single biggest year for Khye was 2014, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Khye is about 12 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 Khye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Khye a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Khye 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 Khye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Khye 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 Khye 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 people are called Khye?
You can see how many people have the name Khye on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.