Total births
51,551
Boys' name · since 1912
Kelvin
Kelvin has 51,551 recorded births since 1912 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1961 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1082
- among boys today
- 51,551
- born since 1912
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Kelvin currently ranks #1082 among boys' names in America, with 51,551 babies recorded since 1912.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelvin has been recorded 51,551 times among boys since 1912, currently ranked #1082 nationally and more common than 92% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #1082 among boys today
- 51,551 born since 1912
- 1960s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kelvin is currently the #1082 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 51,551 born since 1912, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1082
- among boys today
- 51,551
- born since 1912
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Kelvin vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1082
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Kelvin was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
1,370 babies were named Kelvin in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
How Kelvin compares
51,551 Top 4% higher than 96% 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
Kelvin's all-time total is 140x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelvin | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 51,551 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,370 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kelvin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kelvin's SSA record in two at 1973 and the more recent half accounts for 61% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 39%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1915, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1961 peak of 1,370, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kelvin at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1961
Current rank
#1,082
Active since
1912
Kelvin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1961)
- 1,370
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Kelvin popularity over time - girls
304 total births recorded since 1956 (Kelvin as girls' name)
Kelvin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Kelvin's strongest decade.
11,860 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Kelvin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 11
1910s
11 births
- 1920s 61
1920s
61 births
- 1930s 182
1930s
182 births
- 1940s 228
1940s
228 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,182 births
- 1960s
1960s
11,860 births
- 1970s
1970s
7,931 births
- 1980s
1980s
7,167 births
- 1990s
1990s
7,398 births
- 2000s
2000s
6,259 births
- 2010s 3,875
2010s
3,875 births
- 2020s 1,397
2020s
1,397 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 11,860 births (23% of all-time use).
How Kelvin 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 Kelvin's total volume
Kelvin vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kelvin by state
Where Kelvin concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 4,933 | 9.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,243 | 8.2% |
| #3 | California | | 3,784 | 7.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 3,659 | 7.1% |
| #5 | Florida | | 3,353 | 6.5% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 2,640 | 5.1% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 2,529 | 4.9% |
| #8 | Mississippi | | 2,089 | 4.1% |
New York share of Kelvin's total US births 9.6%
Even split
4,933 of 51,551 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Kelvin appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelvin? ▼
Kelvin has been given to 51,551 babies in the U.S. since 1912, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1082 as of the latest data. 1,370 babies were born in 1961, its single highest year.
When was Kelvin most popular? ▼
Kelvin was most popular in the 1960s decade with 11,860 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Kelvin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kelvin are New York (4,933 births), Texas (4,243 births), California (3,784 births).
How long has the name Kelvin been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kelvin since 1912 -- 114 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kelvin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kelly, Kellen, Kellan, Kelton, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kelvin's data
- Kelvin's decade-level peak was the 1960s (11,860 total births); usage has since declined to 1,397 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kelvins (4,933 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Kelvin
Nearby Names Like Kelvin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelvin
Kelly Boy
#1585 82,400 births
Kellen Boy
#1032 17,042 births
Kellan Boy
#920 10,752 births
Kelton Boy
#2428 6,640 births
Kelley Boy
#9012 6,286 births
Compare Kelvin side by side: Kelvin vs Kelly Kelvin vs Kellen Kelvin vs Kellan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelvin
Veer #1081
2,922 births · Peak 2025
Marlon #1083
30,956 births · Peak 1972
Arham #1080
2,181 births · Peak 2024
Canaan #1084
5,843 births · Peak 2016
Palmer #1079
9,264 births · Peak 2023
Kooper #1085
4,012 births · Peak 2022
Rodney #1078
247,150 births · Peak 1965
Koah #1086
1,279 births · Peak 2025
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kelvin: #1082 Boys' Name - 51,551 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kelvin. 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 Kelvin 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.