Total births
20,909
Girls' name · since 1955
Kaia
20,909 babies named Kaia in U.S. Social Security records since 1955, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #180
- among girls today
- 20,909
- born since 1955
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
Kaia currently ranks #180 among girls' names in America, with 20,909 babies recorded since 1955.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kaia has been recorded 20,909 times among girls since 1955, currently ranked #180 nationally and more common than 99% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1955 to 2025.
- #180 among girls today
- 20,909 born since 1955
- 2020s peak decade
- 99% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kaia is currently the #180 girls' name in America, more common than 99% of girls - 20,909 born since 1955, peaking in the 2020s.
- #180
- among girls today
- 20,909
- born since 1955
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other girls
Kaia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#180
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Kaia was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
1,680 babies were named Kaia in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Kaia compares
20,909 Top 6% higher than 94% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Kaia's all-time total is 55x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kaia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,909 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,680 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kaia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kaia's SSA record in two at 1993 and the more recent half accounts for 97% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 3%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1955, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2024 peak of 1,680, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kaia at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2024
Current rank
#180
Active since
1955
Kaia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1955–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 1,680
- Annual births at peak, across 71 years of records
Kaia popularity over time - boys
58 total births recorded since 2001 (Kaia as boys' name)
Kaia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Kaia's strongest decade.
8,626 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Kaia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 20
1950s
20 births
- 1960s 44
1960s
44 births
- 1970s 167
1970s
167 births
- 1980s 211
1980s
211 births
- 1990s 594
1990s
594 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,008 births
- 2010s
2010s
7,239 births
- 2020s
2020s
8,626 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 8,626 births (41% of all-time use).
How Kaia compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Kaia's total volume
Kaia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kaia by state
Where Kaia concentrates geographically, total births since 1955
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 3,866 | 18.5% |
| #2 | Florida | | 1,393 | 6.7% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,275 | 6.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 1,178 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Washington | | 809 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 650 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Minnesota | | 647 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 567 | 2.7% |
California share of Kaia's total US births 18.5%
Even split
3,866 of 20,909 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Kaia appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kaia? ▼
Since 1955, Social Security records show 20,909 babies named Kaia. Today it holds rank #180 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2024, with 1,680 births.
When was Kaia most popular? ▼
Kaia was most popular in the 2020s decade with 8,626 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Kaia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kaia are California (3,866 births), Florida (1,393 births), Texas (1,275 births).
How long has the name Kaia been used? ▼
Kaia has been recorded in Social Security data since 1955, spanning 71 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kaia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kaitlyn, Kaitlin, Kailey, Kaitlynn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kaia's data
- California records the most Kaias (3,866 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 Kaia
Nearby Names Like Kaia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kaia
Kaitlyn Girl
#650 166,689 births
Kaitlin Girl
#4931 57,355 births
Kailey Girl
#1285 27,244 births
Kaitlynn Girl
#3490 16,419 births
Kaila Girl
#1739 14,556 births
Compare Kaia side by side: Kaia vs Kaitlyn Kaia vs Kaitlin Kaia vs Kailey
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kaia
Lilah #179
24,664 births · Peak 2025
Brianna #181
264,799 births · Peak 2000
Alani #178
18,799 births · Peak 2025
Bailey #182
110,806 births · Peak 1998
Rosalie #177
84,049 births · Peak 1938
Phoebe #183
43,658 births · Peak 2025
Callie #176
70,190 births · Peak 2014
Vivienne #184
23,921 births · Peak 2025
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, 1955–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kaia: #180 Girls' Name - 20,909 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kaia. 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 Kaia 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.