Kit Unisex

Popularity: #744 · 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 #1367 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Utah, Ohio, and Michigan.

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.

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.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 403 195 208
2024 374 185 189
2023 317 182 135
2022 303 137 166
2021 235 130 105
2020 196 114 82
2019 177 101 76
2018 144 87 57
2017 116 67 49
2016 90 59 31
2015 68 40 28
2014 38 21 17
2013 25 12 13
2012 32 16 16
2011 22 13 9
2010 23 10 13
2009 24 12 12
2008 17 10 7
2007 14 8 6
2006 7 7 0
2005 20 12 8
2004 23 16 7
2003 10 10 0
2002 12 7 5
2001 27 22 5
2000 18 13 5
1999 15 9 6
1998 13 13 0
1997 17 11 6
1996 18 18 0
1995 17 17 0
1994 17 17 0
1993 26 19 7
1992 21 16 5
1991 20 20 0
1990 23 18 5
1989 12 12 0
1988 16 11 5
1987 40 31 9
1986 23 23 0
1985 25 25 0
1984 40 33 7
1983 39 29 10
1982 45 34 11
1981 44 35 9
1980 42 27 15
1979 38 27 11
1978 41 36 5
1977 38 27 11
1976 34 26 8
1975 34 29 5
1974 46 36 10
1973 41 26 15
1972 52 41 11
1971 61 46 15
1970 37 24 13
1969 45 36 9
1968 41 31 10
1967 52 38 14
1966 44 29 15
1965 57 42 15
1964 63 37 26
1963 77 42 35
1962 62 29 33
1961 81 47 34
1960 77 39 38
1959 96 59 37
1958 112 68 44
1957 137 77 60
1956 129 79 50
1955 132 86 46
1954 113 74 39
1953 101 74 27
1952 109 74 35
1951 103 68 35
1950 95 67 28
1949 63 42 21
1948 76 51 25
1947 84 52 32
1946 80 56 24
1945 55 28 27
1944 81 56 25
1943 58 44 14
1942 43 31 12
1941 45 36 9
1940 30 20 10
1939 13 13 0
1938 8 0 8
1937 15 9 6
1936 6 6 0
1935 10 10 0
1934 6 6 0
1933 5 5 0
1931 6 6 0
1930 7 7 0
1929 7 7 0
1928 14 6 8
1927 16 10 6
1926 16 10 6
1925 10 5 5
1924 6 6 0
1922 11 11 0
1921 16 16 0
1920 8 8 0
1919 5 5 0
1918 6 6 0
1917 11 11 0
1916 7 7 0
1915 8 8 0
1914 6 6 0
1909 5 5 0
1892 5 5 0
1890 8 8 0
1889 5 5 0
1880 5 5 0

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 37
15%
TX 22
9%
UT 17
7%
OH 15
6%
CO 15
6%
MN 14
6%
NC 13
5%
WA 13
5%
GA 12
5%
TN 10
4%
VA 10
4%
MO 9
4%
MI 9
4%
KS 7
3%
IL 7
3%
FL 7
3%
OR 6
2%
PA 5
2%
ME 5
2%
NJ 5
2%
NY 5
2%
CT 5
2%