Kiden
A masculine Japanese name signifying "brilliant heavenly radiance".
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Kiden. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 68.8% of registrations being female. The average person named Kiden today is around 17 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kiden births was 2004 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kiden. 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 Kiden. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
2004
6 babies that year
Average age
17
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,428
Tracked since 2001
Gender
Gender distribution for Kiden
Kiden is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 16 total registrations, 5 (31.3%) were male and 11 (68.8%) were female.
Kiden as a male name
- Ranked #13,428 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 2022 (5 births)
Kiden as a female name
- Ranked #15,154 in 2004
- 6 female births in 2004
- Peak: 2004 (6 births)
Popularity
Kiden: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kiden from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 11 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Kiden remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiden 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 Kiden 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 Kiden
The name Kiden is believed to have originated from the Kashmiri language, spoken in the Kashmir region of northern India and parts of Pakistan. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kridana," which means "to play" or "to enjoy." It is thought to have been used as a name in the region as early as the 8th century CE.
In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas, there are references to individuals with names similar to Kiden, such as Krida and Kridananda. However, no direct historical records of individuals named Kiden have been found from this time period.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Kiden is from the 12th century CE, when a Kashmiri poet and scholar named Kiden Pandit was known for his works on grammar and poetry. He lived during the reign of the Lohara dynasty in Kashmir.
In the 16th century, a Kashmiri ruler named Kiden Shah briefly ascended to the throne of the Chak dynasty. His reign was short-lived, lasting only a few years, but he is mentioned in historical records of the time.
Another notable individual with the name Kiden was a 17th century Kashmiri painter and artist named Kiden Lal. He was renowned for his intricate miniature paintings and was a court artist in the Mughal Empire.
In the late 19th century, a Kashmiri philosopher and mystic named Kiden Nath gained recognition for his teachings on spirituality and the attainment of inner peace. He is believed to have lived in the Kashmir Valley and had a small following of disciples.
More recently, in the 20th century, there was a Kashmiri author and poet named Kiden Kaul who wrote extensively on the culture and traditions of the Kashmir region. His works helped preserve and promote the rich literary heritage of Kashmir.
While the name Kiden may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage of the Kashmir region and has a long history dating back to ancient times.
People
Kiden + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kiden 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
Kiden: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kiden?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kiden 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Kiden a common name?
We classify Kiden as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kiden most popular?
The single biggest year for Kiden was 2004, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kiden is about 17 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 Kiden in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kiden a female name?
Yes, 68.8% of people registered as Kiden 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 Kiden still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kiden 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 Kiden 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 have Kiden as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Kiden on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.