Total births
17,042
Unisex name · since 1954
Kellen
Kellen has 17,042 recorded births since 1954 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2012 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1032
- among boys today
- 17,042
- born since 1954
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
17,042 babies have been named Kellen since 1954, making it today's #1032 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Kellen recorded 17,042 times among boys since 1954, holding rank #1032 nationally today, ahead of 93% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1954 to 2025.
- #1032 among boys today
- 17,042 born since 1954
- 2010s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kellen is currently the #1032 unisex name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 17,042 born since 1954, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1032
- among boys today
- 17,042
- born since 1954
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Kellen vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1032
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Kellen was born in this single decade.
2012
Single peak year
932 babies were named Kellen in 2012 - its busiest year on record.
How Kellen compares
17,042 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Kellen's all-time total is 46x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kellen | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 17,042 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 932 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kellen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kellen's full recorded timeline at 1995, 77% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 23% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1954, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2012 peak of 932 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kellen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2012
Current rank
#1,032
Active since
1954
Kellen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1954–2025
- Peak year (2012)
- 932
- Annual births at peak, across 72 years of records
Kellen popularity over time - girls
1,265 total births recorded since 1961 (Kellen as girls' name)
Kellen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Kellen's strongest decade.
6,167 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Kellen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 43
1950s
43 births
- 1960s 43
1960s
43 births
- 1970s 26
1970s
26 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,854 births
- 1990s 1,981
1990s
1,981 births
- 2000s
2000s
4,398 births
- 2010s
2010s
6,167 births
- 2020s 1,530
2020s
1,530 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 6,167 births (36% of all-time use).
How Kellen 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 Kellen's total volume
Kellen vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kellen by state
Where Kellen concentrates geographically, total births since 1954
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,771 | 10.4% |
| #2 | Washington | | 1,053 | 6.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 840 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 803 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 659 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 607 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Oregon | | 581 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Minnesota | | 580 | 3.4% |
California share of Kellen's total US births 10.4%
Even split
1,771 of 17,042 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Kellen appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kellen? ▼
Kellen has been given to 17,042 babies in the U.S. since 1954, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1032 as of the latest data. 932 babies were born in 2012, its single highest year.
When was Kellen most popular? ▼
Kellen was most popular in the 2010s decade with 6,167 total births. The single peak year was 2012.
Where is Kellen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kellen are California (1,771 births), Washington (1,053 births), Texas (840 births).
Is Kellen a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kellen is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 17,042 births, and as a girl's name it has 1,265 births.
How long has the name Kellen been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kellen since 1954 -- 72 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kellen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kelly, Kelvin, Kellan, Kelton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kellen's data
- Kellen's decade-level peak was the 2010s (6,167 total births); usage has since declined to 1,530 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kellens (1,771 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 Kellen
Nearby Names Like Kellen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kellen
Kelly Boy
#1585 82,400 births
Kelvin Boy
#1082 51,551 births
Kellan Boy
#920 10,752 births
Kelton Boy
#2428 6,640 births
Kelley Boy
#9012 6,286 births
Compare Kellen side by side: Kellen vs Kelly Kellen vs Kelvin Kellen vs Kellan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kellen
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, 1954–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kellen: #1032 Unisex Name - 17,042 Births, Peak 2012." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kellen. 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 Kellen 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.