Kisan
A masculine Hindu name of Sanskrit origin meaning "farmer" or "cultivator".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kisan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kisan today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kisan births was 1991 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kisan. 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 Kisan with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kisan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1991
5 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1991 SSA rank
#8,964
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Kisan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kisan 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 Kisan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kisan
The name Kisan is derived from the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest Indo-Aryan languages that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The word "kisan" literally translates to "farmer" or "cultivator" in Sanskrit. It is believed that the name gained popularity during the ancient and medieval periods of Indian history when agriculture was the primary occupation for a significant portion of the population.
The earliest recorded usage of the name Kisan can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, where it was often used to refer to individuals engaged in farming or agricultural activities. In the Rigveda, one of the oldest sacred texts of Hinduism dating back to around 1500 BCE, there are references to individuals with the title "kisan" or "krishak," which are variations of the same word.
One of the most notable historical figures with the name Kisan was Kisan Brahmin, a prominent Hindu philosopher and scholar who lived in the 6th century CE. He was a prolific writer and is credited with authoring several important works on Hindu philosophy, including commentaries on the Brahma Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita.
Another significant figure in history with the name Kisan was Kisan Singh, a renowned warrior and military leader from the 17th century. He served as the commander of the Maratha army under the reign of Shivaji, the founder of the Maratha Empire. Kisan Singh played a crucial role in several battles and is remembered for his bravery and strategic skills on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, Kisan Lal, a prominent Indian educationist and social reformer, made a significant impact on the Indian education system. He founded several schools and worked tirelessly to promote literacy and education, particularly among underprivileged communities.
Kisan Patnaik, born in 1897, was a renowned Indian freedom fighter who actively participated in the Indian independence movement against British rule. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and played a pivotal role in the non-violent resistance movement.
Kisan Baburao Hazare, better known as Anna Hazare, is a contemporary social activist and anti-corruption crusader from India. Born in 1937, he has been at the forefront of various social and political movements, advocating for transparency and accountability in governance.
People
Kisan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kisan 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
Kisan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kisan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kisan 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 Kisan a common name?
We classify Kisan 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 Kisan most popular?
The single biggest year for Kisan was 1991, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kisan is about 34 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 Kisan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kisan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kisan 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 Kisan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kisan 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 Kisan 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 common is the name Kisan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.