Kontar
A masculine given name of possibly Scandinavian origin with an uncertain meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Kontar. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kontar today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kontar births was 1977 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kontar. 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 Kontar. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1977
6 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1977 SSA rank
#5,520
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Kontar: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kontar 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 Kontar during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kontar
The name Kontar is believed to have originated from the ancient Sanskrit language, which was the classical language of the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the root word "kontra," which means "one who controls" or "one who governs." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who held positions of power or authority.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kontar can be found in the ancient Hindu text, the Mahabharata, which dates back to around the 8th century BCE. In this epic, there is a minor character named Kontar, who was a skilled warrior and a companion of the Pandava princes.
During the medieval period, the name Kontar gained popularity among the ruling classes in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. It was particularly prevalent in the northern regions, such as present-day Pakistan and parts of northern India. Some notable historical figures bearing this name include Kontar Singh, a 16th-century ruler of the Bundela kingdom in central India, and Kontar Chand, a 14th-century warrior and chieftain from the Kumaon region of present-day Uttarakhand.
As trade and cultural exchanges increased between the Indian subcontinent and other regions, the name Kontar began to appear in other parts of the world. One notable example is Kontar al-Khalil, an influential 9th-century Arab mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of algebra.
Moving forward in history, the name Kontar continued to be used by individuals of various backgrounds and professions. In the 19th century, Kontar Rao was a prominent Indian freedom fighter and social reformer who advocated for the rights of the oppressed classes in the princely state of Hyderabad.
Another notable figure with the name Kontar was Kontar Srivastava, an Indian novelist and playwright who lived during the early 20th century. His works explored the complexities of human relationships and social issues in contemporary Indian society.
Despite its ancient origins, the name Kontar has maintained a presence throughout history, transcending cultural and geographical boundaries. While its usage may have evolved over time, the name continues to carry a sense of strength and authority, reflecting its roots in the Sanskrit language and its association with individuals of influence and power.
People
Kontar + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kontar 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
Kontar: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kontar?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kontar 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Kontar a common name?
We classify Kontar as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kontar most popular?
The single biggest year for Kontar was 1977, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kontar is about 46 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 Kontar in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kontar a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kontar 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 Kontar still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kontar 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 Kontar 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 Kontar?
Want to know how many people have the name Kontar? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.