Fun Facts About the Name Kairos
- 772 babies named Kairos: U.S. records list 772 babies given the name Kairos from 1880 through 2025. Even 36 girls received the name Kairos - about 1 girl for every 20 boys.
What Does the Name Kairos Mean?
Kairos comes from the ancient Greek word kairos (καιρός), meaning "the right moment," "the opportune time," or "the fitting season." It refers to a point in time defined by its fitness for action, as opposed to chronos (χρόνος), which is time as duration or sequence. The word is attested in Greek from the archaic period. Its deeper origin is uncertain; one proposal links it to the verb keirō (κείρω), "to cut," suggesting a decisive or "cutting" moment, but that derivation is not agreed, and the word's prehistory remains unresolved. The name is used in English directly from the Greek word rather than through a Latin or biblical personal-name tradition.
Kairos Name History & Origins
The Greek word kairos appears in early poetry and prose, where it marks the right time for a task or the right moment in a performance. Among the sophists and later rhetoricians it became a technical term for the opportune moment in a speech - the point at which an argument or appeal would land - and it was central to the teaching of Gorgias and to later handbooks on rhetoric.
Greek myth and art personified the idea. Kairos was described as a youthful god of opportunity, the youngest son of Zeus, and was the subject of a celebrated bronze statue by Lysippos at Sicyon. The lost statue was known through an epigram attributed to Poseidippus describing winged feet, a forelock to be seized, and a bald back: an image of opportunity that must be caught as it passes. Roman writers knew the figure as Occasio.
In the New Testament, kairos is used for appointed or fulfilled time, as in Mark 1:15 ("the time is fulfilled") and Ephesians 1:10 ("the fullness of times"). In modern Greek, καιρός is an everyday word meaning both "time" and "weather." The English-language given name Kairos is a modern use of this Greek word, carrying its philosophical, rhetorical, and theological associations. It is not historically related to similar-sounding names such as Kai, Caius, or Kieran, which have separate origins.
How Popular is the Name Kairos?
Kairos has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #1,349 in 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,481 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #8,657 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #12,754 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #11,928 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,349 | 140 | 0.0082% |
| 2024 | #1,630 | 104 | 0.0061% |
| 2023 | #1,993 | 77 | 0.0045% |
| 2022 | #2,028 | 75 | 0.0043% |
| 2021 | #2,675 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2020 | #2,222 | 62 | 0.0036% |
| 2019 | #3,300 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2018 | #2,968 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 2017 | #3,722 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2016 | #5,917 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #3,829 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2014 | #4,191 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2013 | #5,531 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #5,600 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2011 | #10,192 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #13,261 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #8,663 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #11,809 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kairos Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Kairos's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kairos's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.