ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👦As Boy Name 2001 First Year 2026 Last Year 2022 Peak Year #1151 Peak Rank 2K Total Count 23 Years Active 👧As Girl Name 1982 First Year 2026 Last Year 2015 Peak Year #5399 Peak Rank 577 Total Count 43 Years Active Advertisement 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Kashmir What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Kashmir is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir) 📜Etymology The word Kashmir is thought to have been derived from Sanskrit and was referred to as káśmīra . A popular local etymology of Kashmir is that it is land desiccated from water. An alternative etymology derives the name from the name of the Vedic sage Kashyapa who is believed to have settled people in this land. Accordingly, Kashmir would be derived from either kashyapa-mir (Kashyapa's Lake) or kashyapa-meru (Kashyapa's Mountain). The word has been referenced to in a Hindu scripture mantra worshipping the Hindu goddess Sharada and is mentioned to have resided in the land of kashmira , or which mi 🏛️Origin & history For a history of the region including the pre-19th century period, see History of Kashmir , History of Gilgit-Baltistan , and History of Ladakh . After a period of cultural flowering under Hindu dynasties—most notably the Karkota and Lohara dynasties — Hindu rule in Kashmir ended in 1339 with the rise of the Shah Mir dynasty . Rule of the native Chak dynasty followed, and lasted until 1586, when the region was conquered by the Mughal Empire under Akbar . Kashmir was annexed by the Afghan Durrani Empire in 1752. [![Wikipedia thumbnail for Kashmir](https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Kashmir_region._LOC_2003626427_-_showing_sub-regions_administered_by_different_countries.jpg/330px-Kashmir_region._LOC_2003626427_-_showing_sub-regions_administered_by_different_countries.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=api&utm_content=thumbnail)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashmir) 📖 ## The Story of Kashmir ### As a girl name Kashmir first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1982, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2015: 23 births, good for #5,653 nationwide. About 29% of every Kashmir on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kashmir ranks #6,597 for girls with 17 births, gradually rising (+7%). All told, over 577 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s. ### As a boy name Kashmir first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2001, with 7 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2022: 180 births, good for #1,151 nationwide. About 71% of every Kashmir on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kashmir ranks #1,177 for boys with 176 births, rising sharply (+70% over the past five years). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time Girls Boys ## Popularity by State 👧 Girls 👦 Boys ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🎶 ## Names that sound like Kashmir Phonetically similar names — useful when Kashmir is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Kashmere](/kashmere) * [Cashmere](/cashmere) * Cashmore * Cashier * Kashmiri * Calmar * Cochere * Cashmeres * Cashman * Comare * Comair * Cashes Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Kashmir What does the name Kashmir mean? Kashmir is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. How popular is Kashmir in 2026? In 2026, Kashmir ranks #1,177 among boys' names in the U.S., with 176 babies given the name that year. When was Kashmir most popular? Kashmir reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #1,151 that year with 180 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Kashmir most popular? Kashmir has historically been most popular in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kashmir. Is Kashmir a unisex name? Yes — Kashmir is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 27% of Kashmirs assigned female and 73% assigned male historically. What names go well with Kashmir? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kashmir include Dolphus, Tylar, Alcide. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. ## Similar Names ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦DolphusPeak #1151](/dolphus)[👦TylarPeak #1151](/tylar)[👦AlcidePeak #1152](/alcide)[👦HelmuthPeak #1152](/helmuth) ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧SherinPeak #5399](/sherin)[👧SharmaynePeak #5399](/sharmayne)[👧NeryPeak #5399](/nery)[👧TessiaPeak #5399](/tessia) Advertisement ## About the name Kashmir Kashmir is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2001 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Kashmir's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #1,151\. Use the chart and map above to compare Kashmir's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 2022 → ](/year/2022) * [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s) * [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k) * [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). 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. Advertisement