Kit Unisex

Popularity: #742 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: kit /kɪt/

Origin: English; Greek

Meaning: English: pure; Greek: follower of Christ

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Kit has its roots in the Old English word "cicca," which means "kitten" or "young cat." This term evolved through various linguistic stages, including the Middle English "kitten," which referred to a small cat or a young animal. The name Kit is often considered a diminutive form of Christopher or Katherine, deriving from the Greek "Christophoros," meaning "bearer of Christ," and the Greek "Aikaterine," which is thought to mean "pure." The transition into English occurred through Latin and Old French, where the names were adapted and eventually anglicized.

Historically, the name Kit has been associated with several notable figures. In the 14th century, Kit was used as a nickname for Christopher, particularly in literary contexts.

The name gained further prominence in the 16th century with the publication of works like the King James Bible in 1611, which contributed to the popularity of biblical names in English-speaking regions. Additionally, Kit was used as a name for various saints and martyrs, particularly St.

Christopher, who is often depicted as a giant carrying the Christ child across a river. Culturally, the name Kit has resonated through various literary and artistic expressions.

It has been used in folklore and children's literature, often embodying themes of adventure and innocence. The diminutive form "Kitty" has also emerged, further enriching the name's cultural tapestry.

The enduring nature of Kit can be attributed to its simplicity and the positive associations tied to its historical and literary figures, making it a name that carries both charm and significance.

Famous people named Kit

In this section, you will find notable people named Kit. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Kit who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Kit who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Kit Harington is an actor best known for Game of Thrones, Pompeii, and How to Train Your Dragon 2.

Kit Carson is a frontiersman and explorer best known for his role in the westward expansion of the United States and his association with the American West.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Kit, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Kit. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Kit was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Kit has ranked as high as #1194 nationally, which occurred in 2023, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Utah, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Kit has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Kit is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Kit was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Top States for Kit (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.

State Births Share
CA 20
17%
TX 12
10%
TN 10
9%
MN 8
7%
IL 7
6%
NC 6
5%
WA 6
5%
OR 6
5%
GA 6
5%
ME 5
4%
UT 5
4%
VA 5
4%
NY 5
4%
OH 5
4%
CT 5
4%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Kit.

YearBirths
2024182
2023182
2022137
2021130
2020114
2019101
201887
201767
201659
201540
201421
201312
201216
201113
201010
200912
200810
20078
20067
200512
200416
200310
20027
200122
200013
19999
199813
199711
199618
199517
199417
199319
199216
199120
199018
198912
198811
198731
198623
198525
198433
198329
198234
198135
198027
197927
197836
197727
197626
197529
197436
197326
197241
197146
197024
196936
196831
196738
196629
196542
196437
196342
196229
196147
196039
195959
195868
195777
195679
195586
195474
195374
195274
195168
195067
194942
194851
194752
194656
194528
194456
194344
194231
194136
194020
193913
19379
19366
193510
19346
19335
19316
19307
19297
19286
192710
192610
19255
19246
192211
192116
19208
19195
19186
191711
19167
19158
19146
19095
18925
18908
18895
18805