Total births
651
Unisex name · since 1920
Kei
651 babies named Kei in U.S. Social Security records since 1920, with the highest year being 2015. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4598
- among boys today
- 651
- born since 1920
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Kei currently ranks #4598 among unisex names in America, with 651 babies recorded since 1920.
Kei has 651 recorded births among boys since 1920, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4598 as of the latest data, more common than 68% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1920 to 2025.
- #4598 among boys today
- 651 born since 1920
- 2010s peak decade
- 68% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kei is currently the #4598 unisex name in America, more common than 68% of boys - 651 born since 1920, peaking in the 2010s.
- #4598
- among boys today
- 651
- born since 1920
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 68%
- more common than other boys
Kei vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4598
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 68% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
33% of everyone ever named Kei was born in this single decade.
2015
Single peak year
33 babies were named Kei in 2015 - its busiest year on record.
How Kei compares
651 Top 38% higher than 62% 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
Kei's all-time total is 77% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kei | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 651 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 33 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kei's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kei splits its recorded history at 2002: 67% of all births land in the more recent half, 33% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1988 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2015 peak of 33 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kei at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2015
Current rank
#4,598
Active since
1920
Kei popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1920–2025
- Peak year (2015)
- 33
- Annual births at peak, across 106 years of records
Kei popularity over time - girls
186 total births recorded since 1978 (Kei as girls' name)
Kei by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Kei's strongest decade.
212 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Kei births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 13
1920s
13 births
- 1970s 15
1970s
15 births
- 1980s 61
1980s
61 births
- 1990s
1990s
99 births
- 2000s
2000s
139 births
- 2010s
2010s
212 births
- 2020s
2020s
112 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 212 births (33% of all-time use).
How Kei 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 Kei's total volume
Kei vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kei by state
Where Kei concentrates geographically, total births since 1920
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 88 | 13.5% |
California share of Kei's total US births 13.5%
88 of 651 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kei? ▼
Since 1920, Social Security records show 651 babies named Kei. Today it holds rank #4598 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2015, with 33 births.
When was Kei most popular? ▼
Kei was most popular in the 2010s decade with 212 total births. The single peak year was 2015.
Where is Kei most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kei are California (88 births).
Is Kei a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kei is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 651 births, and as a girl's name it has 186 births.
How long has the name Kei been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kei since 1920 -- 106 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kei? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Keith, Keion, Keilan, Keifer, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kei's data
- Kei's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (212 total births) through the 2020s (112) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Keis (88 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Kei
Nearby Names Like Kei
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kei
Keith Boy
#756 437,907 births
Keion Boy
#2936 2,859 births
Keilan Boy
#3565 1,325 births
Keifer Boy
1,155 births
Keir Boy
#6549 1,053 births
Compare Kei side by side: Kei vs Keith Kei vs Keion Kei vs Keilan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kei
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, 1920–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kei: #4598 Unisex Name - 651 Births, Peak 2015." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kei. 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 Kei 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.