Total births
1,404
Boys' name · since 2002
Kanye
1,404 babies named Kanye in U.S. Social Security records since 2002, with the highest year being 2004. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6381
- among boys today
- 1,404
- born since 2002
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other boys
1,404 babies have been named Kanye since 2002, making it today's #6381 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kanye recorded 1,404 times among boys since 2002, holding rank #6381 nationally today, ahead of 55% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2002 to 2025.
- #6381 among boys today
- 1,404 born since 2002
- 2000s peak decade
- 55% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kanye is currently the #6381 boys' name in America, more common than 55% of boys - 1,404 born since 2002, peaking in the 2000s.
- #6381
- among boys today
- 1,404
- born since 2002
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other boys
Kanye vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#6381
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 55% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
78% of everyone ever named Kanye was born in this single decade.
2004
Single peak year
509 babies were named Kanye in 2004 - its busiest year on record.
How Kanye compares
1,404 Top 26% higher than 74% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kanye's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kanye | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,404 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 509 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kanye's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kanye's full recorded timeline at 2014, 12% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 88% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2002, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2004 peak of 509 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kanye at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2004
Current rank
#6,381
Active since
2002
Kanye popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2002–2025
- Peak year (2004)
- 509
- Annual births at peak, across 24 years of records
Kanye popularity over time - girls
24 total births recorded since 2004 (Kanye as girls' name)
Kanye by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kanye's strongest decade.
1,102 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 78% of all-time use.
Kanye births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s
2000s
1,102 births
- 2010s 239
2010s
239 births
- 2020s 63
2020s
63 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 1,102 births (78% of all-time use).
How Kanye compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kanye's total volume
Kanye vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kanye by state
Where Kanye concentrates geographically, total births since 2002
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Illinois | | 80 | 5.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 61 | 4.3% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 59 | 4.2% |
| #4 | Florida | | 57 | 4.1% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 49 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 49 | 3.5% |
| #7 | California | | 48 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Louisiana | | 47 | 3.3% |
Illinois share of Kanye's total US births 5.7%
Even split
80 of 1,404 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Kanye appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kanye? ▼
1,404 babies have been named Kanye since 2002. It currently ranks #6381 among boys. The peak year was 2004 with 509 births.
When was Kanye most popular? ▼
Kanye was most popular in the 2000s decade with 1,102 total births. The single peak year was 2004.
Where is Kanye most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kanye are Illinois (80 births), New York (61 births), Georgia (59 births).
How long has the name Kanye been used? ▼
Records for Kanye go back to 2002, giving 24 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kanye? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kane, Kannon, Kanan, Kanon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kanye's data
- Kanye's decade-level peak was the 2000s (1,102 total births); usage has since declined to 63 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Illinois records the most Kanyes (80 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Illinois names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kanye
Nearby Names Like Kanye
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kanye
Kane Boy
#432 19,521 births
Kannon Boy
#986 6,040 births
Kanan Boy
#1138 1,809 births
Kanon Boy
#2980 1,524 births
Kanyon Boy
#3842 1,362 births
Compare Kanye side by side: Kanye vs Kane Kanye vs Kannon Kanye vs Kanan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kanye
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 2002–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kanye: #6381 Boys' Name - 1,404 Births, Peak 2004." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kanye. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kanye draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.