Kiori
A feminine name of Japanese origin meaning "yellow jasmine".
Name Census estimates that about 72 living Americans carry the first name Kiori. It is a predominantly female name (91.7% of registrations). The average person named Kiori today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kiori births was 2024 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kiori. 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 Kiori. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
72
~ 1 in 4,760,477 Americans
Peak year
2024
32 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2024 SSA rank
#5,075
Tracked since 2016
Gender
Gender distribution for Kiori
Kiori leans heavily female at 91.7% of total registrations, but 6 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kiori as a male name
- Ranked #11,691 in 2024
- 6 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (6 births)
Kiori as a female name
- Ranked #5,075 in 2024
- 26 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2024 (26 births)
Popularity
Kiori: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kiori from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 66 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
Kiori 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 Kiori 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 Kiori
The name Kiori has its origins in the Japanese language, with its roots dating back to the Heian period (794-1185 CE) in Japan. The name is derived from the Japanese words "ki," meaning tree or wood, and "ori," meaning to weave or braid. Together, the name suggests a connection to nature, particularly with the art of weaving or braiding materials from trees or wood.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kiori can be found in the Kokin Wakashū, an influential anthology of Japanese poetry compiled in the early 10th century CE. In this collection, there is a mention of a woman named Kiori, whose identity remains uncertain, but her name suggests a possible connection to the art of weaving or braiding.
Throughout the centuries, the name Kiori has been borne by several notable individuals, though its usage has been relatively uncommon. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Kiori no Tsubone (1155-1233 CE), a Japanese lady-in-waiting and a renowned poet of the late Heian and early Kamakura periods.
Another prominent figure with the name Kiori was Kiori Miura (1846-1906), a Japanese scholar and educator who played a significant role in the modernization of Japan's education system during the Meiji Restoration. He served as the president of the Tokyo Normal School (now Tsukuba University) and was instrumental in introducing Western teaching methods and curricula.
In the realm of art, Kiori Ide (1892-1977) was a Japanese painter and printmaker known for her innovative woodblock prints that combined traditional Japanese techniques with Western influences. Her works were exhibited both in Japan and internationally, and she was recognized as a pioneer in the field of modern Japanese printmaking.
Moving into more recent history, Kiori Matsui (1924-2003) was a Japanese baseball player and manager who played for the Yomiuri Giants and later managed the team from 1970 to 1977. He led the Giants to three Japan Series championships and was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988.
Lastly, Kiori Kazuko (born 1952) is a contemporary Japanese novelist and essayist known for her explorations of themes related to family, relationships, and the complexities of modern life. Her works have been widely acclaimed and translated into several languages, garnering her a dedicated readership both within and outside of Japan.
While the name Kiori has maintained a relatively niche presence throughout history, it carries a rich cultural heritage and a connection to the art of weaving and nature, reflecting the intricate tapestry of Japanese tradition and identity.
People
Kiori + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kiori 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
Kiori: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kiori?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 72 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kiori 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 4,760,477 US residents.
Is Kiori a common name?
We classify Kiori as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 72 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kiori most popular?
The single biggest year for Kiori was 2024, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kiori is about 4 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 Kiori in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kiori a female name?
Yes, 91.7% of people registered as Kiori 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 Kiori still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kiori 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 Kiori 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 Kiori?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.