Total births
6,640
Boys' name · since 1914
Kelton
Kelton has 6,640 recorded births since 1914 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2002 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2428
- among boys today
- 6,640
- born since 1914
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other boys
6,640 babies have been named Kelton since 1914, making it today's #2428 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelton has been recorded 6,640 times among boys since 1914, currently ranked #2428 nationally and more common than 83% of boys, 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 1914 to 2025.
- #2428 among boys today
- 6,640 born since 1914
- 2000s peak decade
- 83% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kelton is currently the #2428 boys' name in America, more common than 83% of boys - 6,640 born since 1914, peaking in the 2000s.
- #2428
- among boys today
- 6,640
- born since 1914
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 83%
- more common than other boys
Kelton vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2428
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 83% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Kelton was born in this single decade.
2002
Single peak year
226 babies were named Kelton in 2002 - its busiest year on record.
How Kelton compares
6,640 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Kelton's all-time total is 18x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelton | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,640 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 226 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kelton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kelton's full recorded timeline at 1971, 88% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 12% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1926, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2002 peak of 226 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kelton at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2002
Current rank
#2,428
Active since
1914
Kelton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (2002)
- 226
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Kelton popularity over time - girls
26 total births recorded since 1988 (Kelton as girls' name)
Kelton by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kelton's strongest decade.
2,006 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Kelton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 48
1910s
48 births
- 1920s 72
1920s
72 births
- 1930s 104
1930s
104 births
- 1940s 129
1940s
129 births
- 1950s 172
1950s
172 births
- 1960s 251
1960s
251 births
- 1970s 310
1970s
310 births
- 1980s 357
1980s
357 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,468 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,006 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,373 births
- 2020s 350
2020s
350 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 2,006 births (30% of all-time use).
How Kelton 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 Kelton's total volume
Kelton vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kelton by state
Where Kelton concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 988 | 14.9% |
| #2 | Utah | | 408 | 6.1% |
| #3 | California | | 224 | 3.4% |
| #4 | Mississippi | | 152 | 2.3% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 150 | 2.3% |
| #6 | Oklahoma | | 141 | 2.1% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 133 | 2.0% |
| #8 | Alabama | | 132 | 2.0% |
Texas share of Kelton's total US births 14.9%
Even split
988 of 6,640 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 32 reporting states.
Kelton appears in 32 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelton? ▼
6,640 babies have been named Kelton since 1914. It currently ranks #2428 among boys. The peak year was 2002 with 226 births.
When was Kelton most popular? ▼
Kelton was most popular in the 2000s decade with 2,006 total births. The single peak year was 2002.
Where is Kelton most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kelton are Texas (988 births), Utah (408 births), California (224 births).
How long has the name Kelton been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kelton since 1914 -- 112 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kelton? ▼
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 Kelton's data
- Kelton's decade-level peak was the 2000s (2,006 total births); usage has since declined to 350 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Keltons (988 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Kelton
Nearby Names Like Kelton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelton
Kelly Boy
#1585 82,400 births
Kelvin Boy
#1082 51,551 births
Kellen Boy
#1032 17,042 births
Kellan Boy
#920 10,752 births
Kelley Boy
#9012 6,286 births
Compare Kelton side by side: Kelton vs Kelly Kelton vs Kelvin Kelton vs Kellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelton
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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kelton: #2428 Boys' Name - 6,640 Births, Peak 2002." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kelton. 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 Kelton 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.