Qualen
A name derived from Latin meaning "suffering" or "pain".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Qualen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Qualen today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Qualen births was 1996 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Qualen. 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 Qualen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1996
5 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2007 SSA rank
#13,898
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Qualen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Qualen from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 5 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
Qualen 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 Qualen 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 Qualen
The given name Qualen is believed to have originated from the Old Germanic language, with roots dating back to the 5th century AD. The name is thought to be derived from the Proto-Germanic word "kwaliz," which means "torment" or "suffering." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to describe someone who had endured hardship or persevered through difficult circumstances.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Qualen can be found in the Codex Argenteus, a 6th-century manuscript containing a translation of the Bible into the Gothic language. In this text, the name appears as "Qualans," referring to a person or character mentioned in the biblical narratives.
During the Middle Ages, the name Qualen gained some popularity among Germanic tribes, particularly in regions that are now part of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. It was sometimes used as a surname, although its primary usage was as a given name.
In the 11th century, a notable figure named Qualen von Naumburg (1020-1089) was a prominent German nobleman and military leader who fought in the Holy Roman Empire's wars against the Saxons. His exploits and bravery in battle were documented in various chronicles of the time.
Another historical figure bearing the name Qualen was Qualen von Rheinfelden (1135-1199), a German priest and scholar who served as the Bishop of Speyer in the late 12th century. He was known for his teachings and writings on theology and philosophy.
In the 16th century, Qualen Müntzer (1489-1525) was a German Protestant reformer and radical theologian who played a significant role in the Peasants' War, a series of uprisings in the Holy Roman Empire. He was eventually captured and executed for his involvement in the conflicts.
During the 17th century, Qualen von Büren (1602-1679) was a Dutch military officer and statesman who served as the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1636 to 1645. He played a crucial role in establishing and expanding Dutch colonial rule in the region.
Qualen Huygens (1637-1696) was a renowned Dutch scientist, mathematician, and astronomer who made significant contributions to the development of modern physics and the study of optics. He is best known for his work on the wave theory of light and his discoveries in the field of horology.
While the name Qualen has seen a decline in popularity in recent times, it remains a part of historical records and continues to hold cultural significance, particularly in regions with Germanic linguistic roots and cultural influences.
People
Qualen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Qualen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with Q
Other first names starting with Q with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Qualen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Qualen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Qualen 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Qualen a common name?
We classify Qualen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Qualen most popular?
The single biggest year for Qualen was 1996, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Qualen is about 24 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 Qualen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Qualen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Qualen 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 Qualen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Qualen 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 Qualen 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 common is the name Qualen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.