Kiplin
An Old English name derived from "cyping" meaning market or trading place.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kiplin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kiplin today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kiplin births was 1985 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kiplin. 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 Kiplin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1985
5 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
1985 SSA rank
#7,107
Tracked since 1985
Popularity
Kiplin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiplin 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 Kiplin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kiplin
The name Kiplin is a rare and unique given name with a fascinating history that spans several cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Celtic languages of Britain and Ireland, where it was derived from the words "ceap" and "lin," meaning "tree" and "pool" or "lake," respectively. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with someone who lived near a body of water surrounded by trees.
In the medieval period, the name Kiplin appeared in various Scottish and Irish historical records, often spelled as "Kiplyne" or "Kiplain." One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Kiplin of Argyll, a Scottish nobleman who lived in the 12th century and was known for his prowess in battle.
During the Renaissance era, the name Kiplin gained popularity among the English gentry. Notably, Sir Kiplin Hawkins (1532-1595) was an English naval commander and explorer who sailed with Sir Francis Drake on his famous circumnavigation of the globe.
In the 17th century, Kiplin was the name of a prominent English Puritan minister, Reverend Kiplin Naylor (1628-1689), who was known for his fiery sermons and dedication to the Protestant cause.
Moving into the 18th century, Kiplin Bunbury (1720-1798) was a notable English artist and engraver who was renowned for his intricate architectural drawings and landscapes.
In the 19th century, Kiplin Barker (1842-1912) was a British soldier and explorer who gained fame for his expeditions in Africa and his writings on the geography and cultures of the continent.
While the name Kiplin is relatively uncommon in modern times, it has a rich and diverse historical legacy that spans multiple cultures and eras. Its unique sound and meaning continue to intrigue those who appreciate the significance of names and their origins.
People
Kiplin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kiplin 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
Kiplin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kiplin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kiplin 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Kiplin a common name?
We classify Kiplin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% 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 Kiplin most popular?
The single biggest year for Kiplin was 1985, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kiplin is about 39 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 Kiplin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kiplin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kiplin 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 Kiplin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kiplin 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 Kiplin 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 Kiplin?
Find out how many Americans are named Kiplin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.