Kalman
Boy name · #4061 in 2025 · Uniqueness 61/100
Kalman ranks #4061 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 26 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #4890, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 69,231 boys born in 2025 was named Kalman.
Babies named Kalman per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 113-year story
Kalman first appears in the Social Security records in 1912, when 7 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2017, when 26 boys were named Kalman — good for #3993 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kalman against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kalman in class?
Kalman scores 61 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Kalman is most common
State-level data for Kalman is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like Kalman
Statistically, parents drawn to Kalman tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Chapman, Whitman, Nachman, Salman, and Othman.
ChapmanWhitmanNachmanSalmanOthmanUthmanKainanKailan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kalman | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #4050 |
| 2024 | 16 | #5659 |
| 2023 | 22 | #4610 |
| 2022 | 14 | #6147 |
| 2021 | 22 | #4494 |
| 2020 | 16 | #5451 |
| 2019 | 15 | #5813 |
| 2018 | 12 | #6703 |
| 2017 | 26 | #3993 |
| 2016 | 19 | #4943 |
| 2015 | 19 | #4890 |
| 2014 | 17 | #5252 |
| 2013 | 12 | #6603 |
| 2012 | 17 | #5256 |
| 2011 | 14 | #5945 |
| 2010 | 15 | #5741 |
| 2009 | 15 | #5800 |
| 2008 | 15 | #5767 |
| 2007 | 14 | #5901 |
| 2006 | 15 | #5525 |
| 2005 | 13 | #5875 |
| 2004 | 17 | #4793 |
| 2003 | 14 | #5271 |
| 2002 | 9 | #7055 |
| 2001 | 10 | #6445 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kalman a popular boy name?
Kalman ranked #4061 among boys in 2025 with 26 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4890.
When was the name Kalman most popular?
Kalman peaked in 2017, when 26 American boys received the name (ranked #3993 that year). Since 2017 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kalman?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 69,231 newborn American boys was named Kalman. It scores 61/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.