Kilburn
A name of English origin with obscure meaning, perhaps derived from a place name.
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Kilburn. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kilburn today is around 66 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kilburn births was 1954 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kilburn. 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
- • The typical person named Kilburn is about 66 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Kilburns were born before 1970.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kilburn. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1954
5 babies that year
Average age
66
years old
1954 SSA rank
#4,114
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Kilburn: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kilburn 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 Kilburn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kilburn
The given name Kilburn is believed to have originated from the Old English language, specifically from the region of Middlesex in England. It is thought to be derived from the words "cille," meaning a small stream or brook, and "burna," meaning a small stream or rivulet. Therefore, the name Kilburn can be interpreted to mean "the stream from the brook."
This name's origins can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon era, which spanned from the 5th to the 11th century AD. During this period, the region of Middlesex, where the name is believed to have originated, was inhabited by various Anglo-Saxon tribes and kingdoms.
While there are no known historical references to the name Kilburn in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is believed to have been used as a place name before becoming a personal name. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kilburn is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was listed as a settlement in Middlesex.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the first name Kilburn. One such person was Kilburn Gates (1825-1900), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia. Another notable figure was Kilburn Holt (1903-1984), an American attorney and judge who served as a United States District Judge for the Southern District of West Virginia.
In the realm of sports, Kilburn Zephyr (1884-1950) was a British rower who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, where he won a silver medal as part of the British coxless four rowing team. Kilburn Scott (1908-1989) was an American baseball player who played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for several teams, including the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves.
One of the more notable individuals with the first name Kilburn was Kilburn Lord (1902-1992), an American journalist and writer. He is best known for co-authoring the book "The Emergence of Modern America," which provided a comprehensive account of the social, political, and economic changes that occurred in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the name Kilburn may not be as common today as it once was, it continues to hold a unique place in history, reflecting the cultural and linguistic diversity of the English language and the rich tapestry of names that have emerged from various regions and time periods.
People
Kilburn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kilburn 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
Kilburn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kilburn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kilburn 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 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Kilburn a common name?
We classify Kilburn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kilburn most popular?
The single biggest year for Kilburn was 1954, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kilburn is about 66 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 Kilburn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kilburn a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kilburn 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 Kilburn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kilburn 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 Kilburn 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 named Kilburn?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Kilburn at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.