Kord
An Arabic name meaning "courageous, strong, or valiant."
Name Census estimates that about 445 living Americans carry the first name Kord. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kord today is around 27 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kord births was 1990 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kord. 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
445
~ 1 in 770,234 Americans
Peak year
1990
23 babies that year
Average age
27
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,430
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Kord: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kord from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 129 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kord 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 Kord during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kord
The name Kord is believed to have originated from the Persian language, with its roots tracing back to ancient Iran. The name is derived from the Persian word "kord," which means "courageous" or "brave." It is a name that has been in use for centuries, carrying a strong and powerful connotation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kord can be found in the ancient Persian epic, the Shahnameh, written by the celebrated poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century. In this epic, Kord is mentioned as the name of a valiant warrior who fought bravely in battles alongside the legendary hero Rostam.
Throughout history, the name Kord has been borne by several notable figures. One of the earliest was Kord-e Bakhtiari, a powerful chieftain who led the Bakhtiari tribe in southwestern Iran during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He played a crucial role in the political and military affairs of the region during that period.
Another prominent figure with the name Kord was Kord Pasha, an Ottoman statesman and military leader who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He served as the Governor of Baghdad and played a significant role in the Ottoman Empire's military campaigns in the region.
In more recent history, Kord Valentin Ernsting, a German writer and journalist who lived from 1909 to 1981, is notable for his contributions to literature and journalism. His works focused on themes of social commentary and political satire.
Additionally, Kord Campbell, an American musician and songwriter born in 1962, has made a name for himself in the music industry. He is best known for his work as a member of the alternative rock band Blind Melon and for his solo projects.
The name Kord has also been found in various other cultures and languages, albeit with slightly different spellings or pronunciations. For instance, the Kurdish name "Kurd" is believed to share a similar linguistic root with the Persian "Kord," reflecting the cultural and linguistic connections between these regions.
People
Kord + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kord 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
Kord: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kord?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 445 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kord 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 770,234 US residents.
Is Kord a common name?
We classify Kord as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 460 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kord most popular?
The single biggest year for Kord was 1990, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kord is about 27 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kord a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kord 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.
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.