Boys' name · since 1915

Kell

Kell has 234 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.

#12,048 of 45,481
all-time among boys
234
born since 1915
2000s
peak decade

234 boys have been named Kell since 1915, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kell has been recorded 234 times among boys since 1915, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2021.

  • #12,048 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 234 born since 1915
  • 2000s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kell ranks #12,048 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 234 born since 1915, peaking in the 2000s.

#12,048 of 45,481
all-time among boys
234
born since 1915
2000s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Kell's 234 recorded births place it above 73.49% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Kell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Kell's SSA record in two at 1993 and the more recent half accounts for 54% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 46%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1915, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1960 peak of 11, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Kell popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2021

Last recorded 2021
Peak year (1960)
11
Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
4681012 191519581969198219962002200720152021 5

Kell by decade

2000s is the heaviest window (73 births, 31% of the file).

2000s was Kell's strongest decade.

73 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.

Kell births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 2000s at 73 births (31% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Kell? ▼
234 babies have been named Kell since 1915. All-time, it sits at #12,048 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 2021. The peak year was 1960 with 11 births.
Where does Kell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kell ranks #12,048 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Kell most popular? ▼
Kell was most popular in the 2000s decade with 73 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
How long has the name Kell been used? ▼
Kell has been recorded in Social Security data since 1915, spanning 107 years of data through 2021.
What names are similar to Kell? ▼
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 Kell's data

  • Kell's decade-level peak was the 2000s (73 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Kell

Nearby Names Like Kell

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kell

Kelly Boy
#1867 82,400 births
Kelvin Boy
#1035 51,551 births
Kellen Boy
#1069 17,042 births
Kellan Boy
#1030 10,752 births
Kelton Boy
#3319 6,640 births

Compare Kell side by side: Kell vs Kelly Kell vs Kelvin Kell vs Kellen

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Eulice
234 births · Peak 1921
Burnette
234 births · Peak 1922
Windel
234 births · Peak 1941
Mickle
234 births · Peak 1958
Erice
234 births · Peak 1971
Estaban
234 births · Peak 1993
Kiowa #10932
234 births · Peak 1995
Ahmon #10977
234 births · Peak 2004

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Kell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 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, 1915–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

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 Kell 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 August 2026.