UK boy's name
Kaiser
A masculine given name derived from Caesar, meaning "emperor" or "leader".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kaiser is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kaiser popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1322, with 20 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2016, with 42 births.
This profile covers 411 England and Wales registrations across 24 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 48% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 416 living people in the UK are called Kaiser. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kaiser ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 20 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2016, when 42 boys were registered as Kaiser.
- • Kaiser ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #415 in 2017.
- • About 416 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kaiser as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1322
2024
Births in 2024
20
Latest year
Peak year
2016
42 births
Estimated living
416
2026
Meaning
What does Kaiser mean?
The name Kaiser is derived from the German word meaning "emperor" or "sovereign ruler." It has its origins in the Roman imperial title "Caesar," which was later adopted by the Holy Roman Empire and other German-speaking kingdoms and principalities.
The name's earliest recorded use can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it was commonly given to noble families or those with close ties to the imperial court. During this time, the name was often associated with power, authority, and prestige.
One of the most notable historical figures to bear the name Kaiser was Frederick I, also known as Frederick Barbarossa (c. 1122-1190), who was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death. He was known for his military campaigns in Italy and his efforts to assert imperial authority over the German princes.
Another famous Kaiser was Charles V (1500-1558), who was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1519 to 1556. He ruled over a vast empire that spanned much of Europe, as well as territories in the Americas and Asia. Charles V played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and the conflicts between Catholics and Protestants during his reign.
In the 19th century, the name Kaiser gained renewed prominence with the establishment of the German Empire in 1871. The first German Emperor, Wilhelm I (1797-1888), was often referred to as the "Kaiser" or "Kaiser Wilhelm," setting a precedent for subsequent German monarchs.
One of the most well-known Kaisers in modern history was Wilhelm II (1859-1941), who was the last German Emperor and ruled from 1888 until his abdication in 1918 following Germany's defeat in World War I. His reign was marked by a period of intense militarization and expansionist policies that ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the First World War.
Beyond the German context, the name Kaiser has also been used in other cultures and languages, although less commonly. For instance, in Persian, the word "Kaysar" is derived from the same root as "Caesar" and has been used as a name or title for rulers and noblemen.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kaiser over time
The chart below shows babies named Kaiser registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kaiser, the clearest high point is 2016. The latest England and Wales figure is 20 births in 2024, compared with 42 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaiser by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kaiser was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1091 | 133 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1359 | 219 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2328 | 49 | 6 |
| 1990s | #2714 | 10 | 3 |
Geography
Where Kaiser is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kaiser. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Kaiser ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #415 in 2017.
Across the UK
Kaiser in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#599 in 2020
1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#415 in 2017
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Kaiser
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kaiser: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kaiser in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kaiser was ranked #1322 for boys in England and Wales, with 20 births registered.
When was Kaiser most popular?
The peak year on record was 2016, with 42 babies registered as Kaiser in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kaiser?
A masculine given name derived from Caesar, meaning "emperor" or "leader".
How many people are called Kaiser in the UK?
A total of 411 babies have been registered as Kaiser across the 24 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Kaiser most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kaiser ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #415 in 2017. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.