Kolsyn
A gender-neutral name of unknown origin, potentially a modern coinage.
Name Census estimates that about 257 living Americans carry the first name Kolsyn. It is a predominantly male name (90.7% of registrations). The average person named Kolsyn today is around 5 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kolsyn births was 2022 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kolsyn. 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
257
~ 1 in 1,333,674 Americans
Peak year
2022
50 babies that year
Average age
5
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,013
Tracked since 2011
Gender
Gender distribution for Kolsyn
Kolsyn leans heavily male at 90.7% of total registrations, but 24 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kolsyn as a male name
- Ranked #3,013 in 2024
- 41 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (42 births)
Kolsyn as a female name
- Ranked #14,382 in 2024
- 6 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2022 (8 births)
Popularity
Kolsyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kolsyn from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 198 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kolsyn 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 Kolsyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kolsyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kolsyn
The given name Kolsyn finds its origins in the ancient Norse language, dating back to the Viking era of the 8th to 11th centuries. Scholars believe it is derived from the Old Norse words "kol," meaning coal or charcoal, and "syn," meaning vision or sight. This combination suggests a connection to the concept of having a keen or piercing gaze, akin to the intensity of burning embers.
Kolsyn was a name predominantly used in the regions of Scandinavia, particularly in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, during the height of the Viking age. It was often associated with individuals who possessed a strong and determined spirit, reflecting the warrior culture of that time period.
Although no direct references to the name Kolsyn have been found in ancient Norse sagas or historical texts, its linguistic roots and cultural significance can be traced back to the rich oral traditions and folklore of the Viking people.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kolsyn can be found in the Icelandic Landnámabók, a medieval manuscript detailing the settlement of Iceland by Norse explorers in the 9th and 10th centuries. Here, a warrior named Kolsyn Thorvaldsson is mentioned as one of the first settlers of the Reykjavík region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kolsyn. One such figure was Kolsyn Einarsson (circa 1050-1120), a renowned Viking explorer and navigator who is said to have led expeditions to Greenland and the eastern coasts of present-day Canada.
In the 13th century, Kolsyn Olafsdottir (1215-1288) was a prominent figure in the Norwegian royal court, serving as a trusted advisor to King Haakon IV Haakonsson. Her wisdom and counsel were highly valued during a period of political upheaval and territorial conflicts.
During the Renaissance era, Kolsyn Magnusson (1480-1542) was a respected scholar and poet from Sweden. His works, which celebrated the natural beauty of the Nordic landscapes, had a significant influence on the literary traditions of the region.
In more recent times, Kolsyn Bjornsson (1890-1976) was a renowned Icelandic sculptor and artist, known for his striking depictions of Viking warriors and Norse mythology in stone and metal.
Kolsyn Eriksdottir (1920-2005) was a celebrated Norwegian mountaineer and explorer who achieved numerous first ascents in the Scandinavian mountain ranges and led several expeditions to the Arctic regions.
People
Kolsyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kolsyn 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
Kolsyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kolsyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 257 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kolsyn 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 1,333,674 US residents.
Is Kolsyn a common name?
We classify Kolsyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 77.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 259 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kolsyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Kolsyn was 2022, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kolsyn is about 5 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 Kolsyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kolsyn a male name?
Yes, 90.7% of people registered as Kolsyn 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 Kolsyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kolsyn 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 Kolsyn 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 Kolsyn?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.