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.
- #1,510 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,319 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 6,640
- born since 1914
- 2000s
- peak decade
6,640 babies have been named Kelton since 1914, making it today's #3319 boys' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelton has been recorded 6,640 times among boys since 1914, currently ranked #3319 nationally and more common than 76% 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.
- #1,510 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,319 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 6,640 born since 1914
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelton ranks #1,510 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,319 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 6,640 born since 1914, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1,510 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,319 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 6,640
- born since 1914
- 2000s
- peak decade
Kelton's 6,640 recorded births place it above 96.67% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
32 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Kelton compares
6,640 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Kelton's all-time total is 18x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelton | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 6,640 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 226 | 34 | 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 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
2000s is the heaviest window (2,006 births, 30% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Kelton sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kelton most popular? ▼
Where is Kelton most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kelton been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kelton? ▼
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
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
Compare Kelton side by side: Kelton vs Kelly Kelton vs Kelvin Kelton vs Kellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelton
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kelton: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2002)
Similar record span (~111 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, 1914–2025 (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 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 August 2026.