Kizzy
A diminutive form of the English feminine name Keziah meaning "cassia tree".
Name Census estimates that about 2,178 living Americans carry the first name Kizzy. It is a predominantly female name (99.5% of registrations). The average person named Kizzy today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kizzy births was 1977 (1,124 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kizzy. 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.
People living today
2.2K
~ 1 in 157,371 Americans
Peak year
1977
1,124 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1978 SSA rank
#6,336
Tracked since 1977
Gender
Gender distribution for Kizzy
Out of the 2,359 babies given the name Kizzy since 1880, 99.5% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Kizzy as a male name
- Ranked #6,336 in 1978
- 5 male births in 1978
- Peak: 1977 (7 births)
Kizzy as a female name
- Ranked #14,419 in 2021
- 6 female births in 2021
- Peak: 1977 (1,117 births)
Popularity
Kizzy: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kizzy from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 1,854 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kizzy 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 Kizzy during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kizzys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 30 states and territories. Louisiana, New York, Georgia recorded the most babies named Kizzy, while Iowa, Washington, Kentucky recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 64 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kizzy
The name Kizzy is a diminutive form of the name Keziah, which has its origins in the Hebrew language. The name Keziah means "cassia" or "cinnamon plant" in Hebrew, and it first appears in the Bible in the Book of Job. Keziah was one of the three daughters of Job, a famous figure in the Old Testament known for his unwavering faith and patience in the face of adversity.
While the name Keziah has ancient roots, the shortened form Kizzy is believed to have emerged later on, potentially during the 18th or 19th century. It is possible that this variant of the name became more prevalent in the United States during this time period, particularly in the Southern states, where it may have been used as a nickname or informal name for enslaved African Americans.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kizzy is found in the novel "Roots" by Alex Haley, published in 1976. In the book, Kizzy is the name of a young enslaved woman who is the daughter of the protagonist, Kunta Kinte. The novel's portrayal of Kizzy's life and struggles helped to bring greater awareness to the experiences of enslaved individuals and their families during this dark chapter in American history.
In addition to Kizzy in "Roots," there are a few other notable individuals throughout history who have carried this name. For example, Kizzy Summerall (born in 1962) is an American actress and singer who has appeared in various television shows and films. Kizzy Garrett (born in 1968) is a former professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for several years.
Another individual of note is Kizzy Samrakandi (born in 1971), an Indian singer and songwriter who has performed in various languages, including Hindi, Punjabi, and Urdu. Additionally, Kizzy Alven (born in 1976) is a Swedish singer and songwriter known for her work in the pop and rock genres.
While the name Kizzy may not have a long and extensively documented history, its connections to the Hebrew name Keziah and its appearance in notable works of literature and popular culture have helped to establish it as a unique and meaningful name choice.
People
Kizzy + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kizzy 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
Kizzy: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kizzy?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,178 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kizzy 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 157,371 US residents.
Is Kizzy a common name?
We classify Kizzy as "Rare". It ranks above 94% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,359 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kizzy most popular?
The single biggest year for Kizzy was 1977, when 1,124 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kizzy is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kizzy a female name?
Yes, 99.5% of people registered as Kizzy 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.
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.