Total births
245
Boys' name · since 1956
Kel
245 babies named Kel in U.S. Social Security records since 1956, with the highest year being 2001. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #10063
- among boys today
- 245
- born since 1956
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Kel currently ranks #10063 among boys' names in America, with 245 babies recorded since 1956.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kel has been recorded 245 times among boys since 1956, currently ranked #10063 nationally and more common than 30% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1956 to 2025.
- #10063 among boys today
- 245 born since 1956
- 2010s peak decade
- 30% more common than other boys
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Kel is currently the #10063 boys' name in America, more common than 30% of boys - 245 born since 1956, peaking in the 2010s.
- #10063
- among boys today
- 245
- born since 1956
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other boys
Kel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#10063
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 30% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Kel was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
15 babies were named Kel in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
How Kel compares
245 42nd percentile among 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
Kel's all-time total is 33% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 245 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 15 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kel's SSA record in two at 2003 and the more recent half accounts for 46% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 54%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1969, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2001 peak of 15, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2001
Current rank
#10,063
Active since
1956
Kel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1956–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 70 years of records
Kel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Kel's strongest decade.
59 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Kel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 12
1950s
12 births
- 1960s
1960s
36 births
- 1970s 14
1970s
14 births
- 1980s 6
1980s
6 births
- 1990s
1990s
34 births
- 2000s
2000s
55 births
- 2010s
2010s
59 births
- 2020s
2020s
29 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 59 births (24% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kel? ▼
Kel has been given to 245 babies in the U.S. since 1956, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #10063 as of the latest data. 15 babies were born in 2001, its single highest year.
When was Kel most popular? ▼
Kel was most popular in the 2010s decade with 59 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
How long has the name Kel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kel since 1956 -- 70 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kelly, Kelvin, Kellen, Kellan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kel's data
- Kel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (59 total births) through the 2020s (29) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- 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 Kel
Nearby Names Like Kel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kel
Kelly Boy
#1585 82,400 births
Kelvin Boy
#1082 51,551 births
Kellen Boy
#1032 17,042 births
Kellan Boy
#920 10,752 births
Kelton Boy
#2428 6,640 births
Compare Kel side by side: Kel vs Kelly Kel vs Kelvin Kel vs Kellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kel
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1956–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kel: #10063 Boys' Name - 245 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kel. 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 Kel 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 July 2026.