Kla
An English word meaning a clump or bundle of grass or hay.
Name Census estimates that about 239 living Americans carry the first name Kla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kla today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kla births was 2000 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kla. 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
239
~ 1 in 1,434,119 Americans
Peak year
2000
16 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2019 SSA rank
#16,863
Tracked since 1983
Popularity
Kla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kla from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 108 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Kla remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kla 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 Kla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Klas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kla
The name Kla is believed to have originated from the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in the region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500 BC. It is derived from the Sumerian word "kla," which means "to shine" or "to be radiant." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have been associated with the sun, light, or celestial bodies in Sumerian culture.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kla can be found in the Sumerian King List, an ancient manuscript that chronicles the rulers of Sumer. According to this text, Kla was the name of a legendary king who ruled over the city-state of Uruk around 2800 BC. While the historical accuracy of this account is debated, it provides insight into the antiquity of the name's usage.
In the realm of ancient literature, the name Kla appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest surviving works of literature from Mesopotamia. In this epic poem, Kla is mentioned as a wise and revered figure who provides guidance to the protagonist, Gilgamesh, on his journey of self-discovery.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kla. One of the most prominent figures was Kla the Philosopher (c. 600 BC), a renowned Babylonian thinker and writer who made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy, mathematics, and philosophy. His works, though fragmentary, have influenced generations of scholars and thinkers.
Another famous bearer of the name was Kla the Navigator (c. 300 BC), a skilled Phoenician sailor and explorer who is credited with establishing trade routes and settlements across the Mediterranean region. His daring voyages and navigational expertise contributed to the expansion of Phoenician maritime power.
In the realm of art and culture, Kla the Sculptor (c. 100 AD) was a renowned artist from the Roman Empire who created magnificent statues and sculptures that adorned temples, public buildings, and private residences. His masterpieces, renowned for their intricate details and lifelike qualities, have been preserved in various museums and collections around the world.
Moving forward in history, Kla the Scribe (c. 800 AD) was a celebrated calligrapher and illuminator from the Islamic Golden Age. His exquisite calligraphic works, adorned with intricate designs and ornate embellishments, are considered among the finest examples of Arabic calligraphy and illuminated manuscripts.
While the name Kla may not be as commonly used today as it once was, its rich history and cultural significance span centuries, from the ancient Sumerian civilization to the Islamic Golden Age, with notable bearers of the name leaving their mark in various fields, including philosophy, exploration, art, and literature.
People
Kla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kla 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
Kla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 239 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kla 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 1,434,119 US residents.
Is Kla a common name?
We classify Kla as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 245 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kla most popular?
The single biggest year for Kla was 2000, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kla is about 26 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 Kla in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kla a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kla 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 Kla still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kla 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 Kla 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 have Kla as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.