Kivin
A masculine name of uncertain origin, possibly derived from Gaelic roots.
Name Census estimates that about 18 living Americans carry the first name Kivin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kivin today is around 51 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kivin births was 1970 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kivin. 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 Kivin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
18
~ 1 in 19,041,908 Americans
Peak year
1970
5 babies that year
Average age
51
years old
1990 SSA rank
#8,868
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Kivin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kivin from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 15 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Kivin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kivin 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 Kivin 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 Kivin
The name Kivin is believed to have originated from the ancient Celtic language spoken in the British Isles during the Iron Age, around 800 BC to 43 AD. It is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic root word "kiv-" meaning "tree" or "wood". This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived in a forested area or worked with wood.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kivin can be found in a collection of ancient Welsh poetry called the Black Book of Carmarthen, which dates back to the 13th century. In this text, a warrior named Kivin ap Gwydyr is mentioned as a member of King Arthur's legendary knights of the round table.
During the Middle Ages, the name appears to have been popular among Celtic populations in Wales and parts of England. A notable figure from this period was Kivin the Bard (c. 1230 - 1300), a Welsh poet and storyteller who is credited with preserving many ancient Welsh folk tales and oral traditions.
In the 16th century, a man named Kivin Rhys (c. 1550 - 1609) gained fame as a skilled architect and stonemason in Wales. He is known for his work on several medieval castles and churches, including the reconstruction of Caerphilly Castle's leaning tower.
Fast forward to the 19th century, and we find Kivin Jones (1818 - 1886), a Welsh-born American entrepreneur who founded one of the first successful logging companies in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.
Another notable figure was Kivin MacDonald (1890 - 1957), a Scottish poet and writer who was part of the Scottish Renaissance literary movement in the early 20th century. His works often drew inspiration from Celtic mythology and folklore.
While the name Kivin has its roots in ancient Celtic culture, it has remained relatively uncommon throughout history. However, its connection to nature and the symbolism of trees and wood have given it a unique and enduring quality that has allowed it to persist across centuries.
People
Kivin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kivin 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
Kivin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kivin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 18 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kivin 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 19,041,908 US residents.
Is Kivin a common name?
We classify Kivin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 38.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kivin most popular?
The single biggest year for Kivin was 1970, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kivin is about 51 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 Kivin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kivin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kivin 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 Kivin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kivin 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 Kivin 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 called Kivin?
You can see how many people share the name Kivin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.