Boys' name · since 1915
Kelso
Since 1915, U.S. Social Security records show 387 babies named Kelso, peaking in 2024. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #9,200 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,176 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 387
- born since 1915
- 2020s
- peak decade
387 babies have been named Kelso since 1915, making it today's #6176 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kelso recorded 387 times among boys since 1915, holding rank #6176 nationally today, ahead of 56% of boys, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #9,200 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #6,176 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 387 born since 1915
- 2020s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelso ranks #9,200 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,176 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 387 born since 1915, peaking in the 2020s.
- #9,200 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,176 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 387
- born since 1915
- 2020s
- peak decade
Kelso's 387 recorded births place it above 79.75% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Kentucky.
How Kelso compares
387 Top 49% higher than 51% of 13,930 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
Kelso's all-time total is 5% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelso | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 387 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kelso's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kelso's full recorded timeline at 2005, 66% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 34% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1920, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2024 peak of 24 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kelso popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Kelso by decade
2020s is the heaviest window (109 births, 28% of the file).
2020s was Kelso's strongest decade.
109 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Kelso births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 33
1910s
33 births
- 1920s 34
1920s
34 births
- 1930s 23
1930s
23 births
- 1940s 17
1940s
17 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s
2000s
72 births
- 2010s
2010s
94 births
- 2020s
2020s
109 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 109 births (28% of all-time use).
Kelso by state
Where Kelso concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 6 | 1.6% |
6 of 387 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelso? ▼
Where does Kelso sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kelso most popular? ▼
Where is Kelso most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kelso been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kelso? ▼
What to do with Kelso's data
- Kentucky records the most Kelsos (6 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kelso
Nearby Names Like Kelso
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelso
Compare Kelso side by side: Kelso vs Kelly Kelso vs Kelvin Kelso vs Kellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelso
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kelso: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2024)
Similar record span (~110 yrs)
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, 1915–2025 (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 Kelso 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.