Kaisan
Kaisan (開山) is a Japanese term used in reference to the founder of a school of Buddhism or the founder of a temple, literally meaning "mountain opener" or "to open a mountain." Chan monasteries of China and Japan have traditionally been built in mountainous regions, with the name of whatever mountain it has been built upon then fixed upon the monastery as well as the founding abbot.
Meaning & Origin of Kaisan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kaisan (開山) is a Japanese term used in reference to the founder of a school of Buddhism or the founder of a temple, literally meaning "mountain opener" or "to open a mountain." Chan monasteries of China and Japan have traditionally been built in mountainous regions, with the name of whatever mountain it has been built upon then fixed upon the monastery as well as the founding abbot.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kaisan
Kaisan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 2009, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 13 Kaisans were born — ranking #6,293 that year. As of 2026, Kaisan ranks #7,224 for baby boys with 11 births, falling sharply (-27%). In total, more than 102 Kaisans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kaisan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kaisan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kaisan
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About the name Kaisan
Kaisan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2009 and has accumulated 102 births in the dataset. Kaisan's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #6,293. Use the chart and map above to compare Kaisan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2020 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.