Kiz
A female given name of Turkish origin meaning "girl".
Name Census estimates that about 31 living Americans carry the first name Kiz. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kiz today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kiz births was 1961 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kiz. 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 Kiz. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
31
~ 1 in 11,056,592 Americans
Peak year
1961
21 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1964 SSA rank
#6,379
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Kiz: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kiz 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 Kiz during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0 | 39 | 39 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kiz
The given name Kiz has its origins in the Turkish language. It is a feminine name that is derived from the Turkish word "kiz" which means "girl" or "daughter." The name has been used in Turkey and other regions influenced by Turkish culture for centuries.
Kiz is believed to have its roots in the ancient Turkic languages spoken by nomadic tribes that inhabited the vast steppes of Central Asia. As these tribes migrated westward, they brought their language and cultural traditions with them, including the use of the name Kiz.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kiz can be found in the 13th-century epic poem "Dede Korkut," which is considered a foundational work in Turkish literature. In this poem, the name Kiz is mentioned in reference to a female character, indicating its use during that time period.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Kiz. One such figure is Kiz Kulesi, also known as the Leander's Tower, a famous tower located in Istanbul, Turkey. The tower's name is derived from the Turkish phrase "kiz kulesi," which means "maiden's tower," and it has been a prominent landmark since its construction in the 12th century.
Another notable figure is Kiz Amine, a 16th-century Ottoman princess and the daughter of Sultan Selim II. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her patronage of the arts and architecture.
In the 19th century, Kiz Zambak, a famous Turkish poet and playwright, gained recognition for her contributions to the literary world. She was born in 1857 and is remembered for her works that explored the themes of love, nature, and the human condition.
Kiz Selik, an influential Turkish feminist and activist, was born in 1892. She played a crucial role in the women's rights movement in Turkey and advocated for equal rights and opportunities for women.
Another noteworthy figure is Kiz Ayse, a 20th-century Turkish folk singer and musician. Born in 1912, she was renowned for her powerful vocals and her ability to preserve and popularize traditional Turkish music.
While the name Kiz has its roots in Turkish culture, it has also been adopted and used in various other regions and languages, often with slight variations in spelling or pronunciation. However, the core meaning of "girl" or "daughter" remains consistent across these different cultural contexts.
People
Kiz + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kiz 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
Kiz: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kiz?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 31 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kiz 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 11,056,592 US residents.
Is Kiz a common name?
We classify Kiz as "Very Rare". It ranks above 47% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kiz most popular?
The single biggest year for Kiz was 1961, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kiz is about 65 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 Kiz in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kiz a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kiz 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 Kiz still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kiz 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 Kiz 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 Kiz?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.