Holding steady, #14,942 for girls today.
Popularity of Kismet since 1955
Babies named Kismet per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 28 |
| 1960s | 20 |
| 1970s | 65 |
| 1980s | 10 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 30 |
| 2010s | 23 |
| 2020s | 16 |
Meaning & origin
Kismet is a rare word name drawn from the Turkish and Arabic term for fate or destiny. It entered U.S. naming records in 1955 but never gained wide use, with a peak in 1973 when it ranked highest in the data. In 2025 it ranked 14,942, given to roughly 1 in every 321,453 newborns, a consistent pattern of rarity. The name's trajectory has been stable, neither surging nor declining sharply. Kismet is almost always chosen for girls, reflecting the broader trend of abstract virtue and concept names in American naming. Though top states are not recorded, it remains a distinctive choice with a clear, evocative meaning.
Kismet derives from Turkish 'kısmet', which itself comes from Arabic 'qisma' meaning 'portion' or 'lot', related to 'qasama' (to divide). The word entered English in the 19th century via Turkish, popularized by the Ottoman expression 'kısmet' for fate. As a given name it is a modern English word name, first recorded in U.S. data in 1955, and has remained uncommon.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kizzy
Variants: Kismette, Kizmet
Sibling names for Kismet
Names that share Kismet's style, for a brother or sister.
