Boys' name · since 1898
Kemp
1,306 babies named Kemp in U.S. Social Security records since 1898, with the highest year being 1957. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4,337 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,868 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,306
- born since 1898
- 1960s
- peak decade
Yes -- Kemp is the #4868 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 1,306 recorded since 1898.
Social Security Administration records show Kemp recorded 1,306 times among boys since 1898, holding rank #4868 nationally today, ahead of 65% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1898 to 2025.
- #4,337 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,868 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,306 born since 1898
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kemp ranks #4,337 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,868 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,306 born since 1898, peaking in the 1960s.
- #4,337 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,868 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,306
- born since 1898
- 1960s
- peak decade
Kemp's 1,306 recorded births place it above 90.45% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by North Carolina.
How Kemp compares
1,306 Top 28% higher than 72% 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
Kemp's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kemp | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,306 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 31 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kemp's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kemp's SSA record in two at 1968 and the more recent half accounts for 42% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 58%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1898, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1957 peak of 31, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kemp popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1898–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 31
- Annual births at peak, across 128 years of records
Kemp by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (192 births, 15% of the file).
1960s was Kemp's strongest decade.
192 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Kemp births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
96 births
- 1920s
1920s
104 births
- 1930s
1930s
96 births
- 1940s
1940s
109 births
- 1950s
1950s
180 births
- 1960s
1960s
192 births
- 1970s
1970s
103 births
- 1980s 72
1980s
72 births
- 1990s
1990s
89 births
- 2000s
2000s
82 births
- 2010s
2010s
109 births
- 2020s 69
2020s
69 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 192 births (15% of all-time use).
How Kemp 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 Kemp's total volume
Kemp by state
Where Kemp concentrates geographically, total births since 1898
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 54 | 4.1% |
54 of 1,306 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Kemp's data
- Kemp's usage has stayed within range of its 1960s decade-level peak (192 total births) through the 2020s (69) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- North Carolina records the most Kemps (54 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kemp
Nearby Names Like Kemp
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kemp
Compare Kemp side by side: Kemp vs Kemper Kemp vs Kemari Kemp vs Kemarion
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kemp
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kemp: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1957)
Similar record span (~127 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, 1898–2025 (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 Kemp 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.