Total births
1,950
Boys' name · since 1988
Kiefer
1,950 babies named Kiefer in U.S. Social Security records since 1988, with the highest year being 1991. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12851
- among boys today
- 1,950
- born since 1988
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 10%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kiefer is the #12851 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,950 recorded since 1988.
Kiefer has 1,950 recorded births among boys since 1988, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #12851 as of the latest data, more common than 10% of boys, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1988 to 2025.
- #12851 among boys today
- 1,950 born since 1988
- 1990s peak decade
- 10% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kiefer is currently the #12851 boys' name in America, more common than 10% of boys - 1,950 born since 1988, peaking in the 1990s.
- #12851
- among boys today
- 1,950
- born since 1988
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 10%
- more common than other boys
Kiefer vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#12851
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 10% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
50% of everyone ever named Kiefer was born in this single decade.
1991
Single peak year
204 babies were named Kiefer in 1991 - its busiest year on record.
How Kiefer compares
1,950 Top 21% higher than 79% 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
Kiefer's all-time total is 5x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kiefer | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,950 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 204 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kiefer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kiefer's SSA record in two at 2006 and the more recent half accounts for 28% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 72%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2024, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1991 peak of 204, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kiefer at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1991
Current rank
#12,851
Active since
1988
Kiefer popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1988–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 204
- Annual births at peak, across 38 years of records
Kiefer by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kiefer's strongest decade.
969 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 50% of all-time use.
Kiefer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 128
1980s
128 births
- 1990s
1990s
969 births
- 2000s
2000s
559 births
- 2010s 256
2010s
256 births
- 2020s 38
2020s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 969 births (50% of all-time use).
How Kiefer 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 Kiefer's total volume
Kiefer vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kiefer by state
Where Kiefer concentrates geographically, total births since 1988
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 185 | 9.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 83 | 4.3% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 37 | 1.9% |
| #4 | Florida | | 33 | 1.7% |
| #5 | New York | | 30 | 1.5% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 23 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 20 | 1.0% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 18 | 0.9% |
California share of Kiefer's total US births 9.5%
Even split
185 of 1,950 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Kiefer appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kiefer? ▼
Since 1988, Social Security records show 1,950 babies named Kiefer. Today it holds rank #12851 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1991, with 204 births.
When was Kiefer most popular? ▼
Kiefer was most popular in the 1990s decade with 969 total births. The single peak year was 1991.
Where is Kiefer most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kiefer are California (185 births), Texas (83 births), Illinois (37 births).
How long has the name Kiefer been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kiefer since 1988 -- 38 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kiefer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kieran, Kieth, Kiel, Kiernan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kiefer's data
- Kiefer's decade-level peak was the 1990s (969 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kiefers (185 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 Kiefer
Nearby Names Like Kiefer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kiefer
Kieran Boy
#440 17,613 births
Kieth Boy
2,837 births
Kiel Boy
#11140 2,505 births
Kiernan Boy
#3115 1,761 births
Kieron Boy
#10055 730 births
Compare Kiefer side by side: Kiefer vs Kieran Kiefer vs Kieth Kiefer vs Kiel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kiefer
Maxwel #12850
267 births · Peak 2001
Chaze #12852
206 births · Peak 1988
Maclean #12849
291 births · Peak 1998
Jaquon #12853
729 births · Peak 2000
Jeanbaptiste #12848
10 births · Peak 1987
Jhovany #12854
484 births · Peak 2006
Jaston #12847
284 births · Peak 2006
Daishawn #12855
555 births · Peak 2001
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, 1988–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kiefer: #12851 Boys' Name - 1,950 Births, Peak 1991." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kiefer. 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 Kiefer 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.