How Many People Are Named Kaoru?
An estimated 27 people in the United States have the first name Kaoru. It is used for both genders, with 66.9% male. The average bearer is 45 years old, and Kaoru peaked in popularity in 1921 with 30 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Kaoru as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Kaoru paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Kaoru is exceptionally rare. Fewer than 100 people with this name are estimated to be alive in the U.S. today.
Estimated Living Americans
27
About 1 in 12,694,605 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
66.9% confidence
Average Age
45
years old
Peak Year
1921
30 births
Total Registered
251
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Kaoru
Kaoru is a genuinely unisex name, used for both males (66.9%) and females (33.1%). Out of 251 total births registered, 168 were male and 83 were female.
Kaoru as a male name
Ranked #9,302 in 1999
6 male births in 1999
Peak: 1921 (17 births)
Kaoru as a female name
Ranked #12,534 in 1994
6 female births in 1994
Peak: 1921 (13 births)
Kaoru in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 864 people with the first name Kaoru, which placed it at #13,837 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Kaoru was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 864 people with this name in that snapshot, 19.1% were male and 80.9% were female. That is more heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 66.9% male.
Census Count
864
people with this name
Census Rank
#13,837
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
0.29
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Kaoru was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (94.32%). The next largest recorded groups were Two or More Races (2.78%) and White (1.51%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Kaoru in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Kaoru.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 94.32% | 813 |
| Two or More Races | 2.78% | 24 |
| White | 1.51% | 13 |
| Hispanic | 1.16% | 10 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.23% | 2 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Kaoru: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Kaoru span from the 1910s to the 1990s, covering 4 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 162 babies were registered. Kaoru has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Kaoru by Decade
How has Kaoru tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Kaoru by State
Kaoru + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaoru as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Kaoru
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
Kaoru: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaoru?
We estimate approximately 27 people named Kaoru are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 12,694,605 Americans share this first name.
Is Kaoru a common name?
Kaoru is classified as "Very Rare" and is more popular than 44.9% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 251 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Kaoru most popular?
Kaoru reached peak popularity in 1921, when 30 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Kaoru is approximately 45 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Kaoru in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 864 people with the first name Kaoru. That placed it at #13,837 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.29 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Kaoru was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Kaoru?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Kaoru was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 19.1% male and 80.9% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Kaoru?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Kaoru was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Asian and Pacific Islander (94.32%). The next largest recorded groups were Two or More Races (2.78%) and White (1.51%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Kaoru a male name?
Kaoru is predominantly male. 66.9% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Kaoru have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Kaoru peaked in 1921, and the average living bearer is about 45 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Kaoru Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Kaoru Smith, Kaoru Johnson, Kaoru Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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