Total births
1,520
Unisex name · since 1987
Kaelan
Kaelan has 1,520 recorded births since 1987 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1998 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #3744
- among boys today
- 1,520
- born since 1987
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 74%
- more common than other boys
1,520 babies have been named Kaelan since 1987, making it today's #3744 unisex name.
Kaelan has 1,520 recorded births among boys since 1987, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #3744 as of the latest data, more common than 74% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1987 to 2025.
- #3744 among boys today
- 1,520 born since 1987
- 2000s peak decade
- 74% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kaelan is currently the #3744 unisex name in America, more common than 74% of boys - 1,520 born since 1987, peaking in the 2000s.
- #3744
- among boys today
- 1,520
- born since 1987
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 74%
- more common than other boys
Kaelan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3744
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 74% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Kaelan was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
91 babies were named Kaelan in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Kaelan compares
1,520 Top 25% higher than 75% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kaelan's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kaelan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,520 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 91 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kaelan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kaelan splits its recorded history at 2007: 38% of all births land in the more recent half, 62% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1989 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1998 peak of 91 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kaelan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#3,744
Active since
1987
Kaelan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1987–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 91
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Kaelan popularity over time - girls
431 total births recorded since 1987 (Kaelan as girls' name)
Kaelan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kaelan's strongest decade.
591 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Kaelan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 21
1980s
21 births
- 1990s
1990s
484 births
- 2000s
2000s
591 births
- 2010s
2010s
315 births
- 2020s 109
2020s
109 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 591 births (39% of all-time use).
How Kaelan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kaelan's total volume
Kaelan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kaelan by state
Where Kaelan concentrates geographically, total births since 1987
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 129 | 8.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 76 | 5.0% |
| #3 | Florida | | 22 | 1.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 20 | 1.3% |
| #5 | New York | | 19 | 1.3% |
| #6 | Washington | | 7 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Colorado | | 5 | 0.3% |
California share of Kaelan's total US births 8.5%
Even split
129 of 1,520 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Kaelan appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kaelan? ▼
1,520 babies have been named Kaelan since 1987. It currently ranks #3744 among boys. The peak year was 1998 with 91 births.
When was Kaelan most popular? ▼
Kaelan was most popular in the 2000s decade with 591 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Kaelan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kaelan are California (129 births), Texas (76 births), Florida (22 births).
Is Kaelan a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kaelan is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,520 births, and as a girl's name it has 431 births.
How long has the name Kaelan been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kaelan since 1987 -- 39 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kaelan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kaeden, Kael, Kaedyn, Kaeson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kaelan's data
- Kaelan's decade-level peak was the 2000s (591 total births); usage has since declined to 109 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kaelans (129 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kaelan
Nearby Names Like Kaelan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kaelan
Kaeden Boy
#2166 5,100 births
Kael Boy
#1477 4,055 births
Kaedyn Boy
#3669 1,540 births
Kaeson Boy
#2469 1,126 births
Kaelin Boy
926 births
Compare Kaelan side by side: Kaelan vs Kaeden Kaelan vs Kael Kaelan vs Kaedyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kaelan
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1987–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kaelan: #3744 Unisex Name - 1,520 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kaelan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kaelan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.