Total births
739
Unisex name · since 1990
Kaelen
Kaelen has 739 recorded births since 1990 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2009 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5771
- among boys today
- 739
- born since 1990
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kaelen is the #5771 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 739 recorded since 1990.
Kaelen has 739 recorded births among boys since 1990, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5771 as of the latest data, more common than 60% 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 1990 to 2025.
- #5771 among boys today
- 739 born since 1990
- 2000s peak decade
- 60% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Kaelen is currently the #5771 unisex name in America, more common than 60% of boys - 739 born since 1990, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5771
- among boys today
- 739
- born since 1990
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 60%
- more common than other boys
Kaelen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5771
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 60% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Kaelen was born in this single decade.
2009
Single peak year
42 babies were named Kaelen in 2009 - its busiest year on record.
How Kaelen compares
739 Top 36% higher than 64% 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
Kaelen's all-time total is 101% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kaelen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 739 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 42 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kaelen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kaelen splits its recorded history at 2008: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1990 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2009 peak of 42 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kaelen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2009
Current rank
#5,771
Active since
1990
Kaelen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1990–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 42
- Annual births at peak, across 36 years of records
Kaelen popularity over time - girls
340 total births recorded since 1986 (Kaelen as girls' name)
Kaelen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kaelen's strongest decade.
282 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Kaelen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s
1990s
167 births
- 2000s
2000s
282 births
- 2010s
2010s
215 births
- 2020s 75
2020s
75 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 282 births (38% of all-time use).
How Kaelen 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 Kaelen's total volume
Kaelen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kaelen by state
Where Kaelen concentrates geographically, total births since 1990
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 46 | 6.2% |
| #2 | Colorado | | 6 | 0.8% |
| #3 | New York | | 6 | 0.8% |
California share of Kaelen's total US births 6.2%
Even split
46 of 739 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kaelen? ▼
Since 1990, Social Security records show 739 babies named Kaelen. Today it holds rank #5771 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2009, with 42 births.
When was Kaelen most popular? ▼
Kaelen was most popular in the 2000s decade with 282 total births. The single peak year was 2009.
Where is Kaelen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kaelen are California (46 births), Colorado (6 births), New York (6 births).
Is Kaelen a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kaelen is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 739 births, and as a girl's name it has 340 births.
How long has the name Kaelen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kaelen since 1990 -- 36 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kaelen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kaeden, Kael, Kaedyn, Kaelan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kaelen's data
- Kaelen's decade-level peak was the 2000s (282 total births); usage has since declined to 75 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kaelens (46 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 Kaelen
Nearby Names Like Kaelen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kaelen
Kaeden Boy
#2166 5,100 births
Kael Boy
#1477 4,055 births
Kaedyn Boy
#3669 1,540 births
Kaelan Boy
#3744 1,520 births
Kaeson Boy
#2469 1,126 births
Compare Kaelen side by side: Kaelen vs Kaeden Kaelen vs Kael Kaelen vs Kaedyn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kaelen
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1990–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kaelen: #5771 Unisex Name - 739 Births, Peak 2009." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kaelen. 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 Kaelen 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 July 2026.