Kwuan
Name of Thai origin meaning "lotus flower".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kwuan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kwuan today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kwuan births was 1990 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kwuan. 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 Kwuan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1990
5 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1990 SSA rank
#8,895
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Kwuan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kwuan 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 Kwuan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kwuan
The name Kwuan originates from the Thai language and has its roots in ancient Southeast Asian cultures. It is believed to have derived from the word "kwan," which means "power" or "authority" in Thai.
Kwuan was a popular name among the Thai nobility and ruling class during the Ayutthaya Kingdom, which lasted from 1351 to 1767. The name was often bestowed upon sons of high-ranking officials and royalty, symbolizing the expectations of strength and leadership.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kwuan can be found in the Khun Chang Khun Phan, a Thai literary epic composed during the Ayutthaya period. The epic tells the story of two warriors, Khun Chang and Khun Phan, and their unwavering loyalty to the king.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Kwuan Muang Rat held the position of a high-ranking military commander under King Trailok. He played a crucial role in defending the Ayutthaya Kingdom against invasions from neighboring territories.
Another prominent individual bearing the name Kwuan was Kwuan Phetchaburi, a highly respected Buddhist monk who lived during the late 17th century. He was renowned for his teachings and contributions to the preservation of Thai Buddhism.
During the 19th century, Kwuan Siam Nualphong was a celebrated poet and writer who was instrumental in reviving and promoting Thai literature and culture. His works are still studied and appreciated today.
In more recent history, Kwuan Sukchat was a Thai politician and activist who fought for democracy and human rights in the mid-20th century. He played a significant role in the anti-dictatorship movements of the 1970s.
While these are just a few examples, the name Kwuan has been carried by many influential individuals throughout Thai history, reflecting its association with strength, authority, and leadership.
People
Kwuan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kwuan 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
Kwuan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kwuan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kwuan 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Kwuan a common name?
We classify Kwuan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kwuan most popular?
The single biggest year for Kwuan was 1990, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kwuan is about 35 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 Kwuan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kwuan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kwuan 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 Kwuan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kwuan 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 Kwuan 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 share the name Kwuan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.