Kiano
A variation of the name Keanu of Hawaiian origin meaning "the cool breeze".
Name Census estimates that about 143 living Americans carry the first name Kiano. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kiano today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kiano births was 2024 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kiano. 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 Kiano with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
143
~ 1 in 2,396,883 Americans
Peak year
2024
21 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,789
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Kiano: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kiano from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 54 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiano 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 Kiano 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 Kiano
The name Kiano is a relatively modern name that is thought to have originated in Hawaii. It is believed to be derived from the Hawaiian word "kia," which means "to stand tall" or "to be strong and steadfast." The name has its roots in the Polynesian culture and language, which has had a significant influence on Hawaiian names and traditions.
While the name Kiano does not have a long and storied history like some ancient names, it has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly in the United States and other Western countries. The earliest recorded use of the name Kiano is relatively recent, with records showing it being used as a first name in the late 20th century.
One of the earliest known people to bear the name Kiano was Kiano Liufau, an American football player who played quarterback for the University of Colorado Boulder from 2013 to 2016. He was born in 1995 and hails from Tacoma, Washington.
Another notable figure with the name Kiano is Kiano Lester, an Australian professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the Canberra Raiders in the NRL. He was born in 1995 and is from Mount Druitt, New South Wales.
In the realm of music, there is Kiano Cadogan, a British singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born in 1991 and is known for his work with artists like Little Mix and Dua Lipa.
Kiano Gomez is a Mexican-American artist and designer who is known for his vibrant and colorful murals and street art. He was born in 1992 and is based in Los Angeles, California.
Lastly, Kiano Lemalu is a New Zealand-born actor and director who has worked in both film and television. He was born in 1985 and is best known for his roles in shows like "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" and "Spartacus."
While the name Kiano may not have a long and ancient history, it has gained popularity in recent years and has been embraced by families of various cultural backgrounds, reflecting the increasingly diverse and multicultural societies we live in today.
People
Kiano + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kiano 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
Kiano: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kiano?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 143 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kiano 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 2,396,883 US residents.
Is Kiano a common name?
We classify Kiano as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 144 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kiano most popular?
The single biggest year for Kiano was 2024, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kiano is about 13 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 Kiano in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kiano a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kiano 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 Kiano still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kiano 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 Kiano 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 share the name Kiano?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.