Unisex name · since 1912
Kemper
1,598 babies named Kemper in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 2009. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3,790 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,168 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,598
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
1,598 babies have been named Kemper since 1912, making it today's #6168 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Kemper recorded 1,598 times among boys since 1912, holding rank #6168 nationally today, ahead of 56% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #3,790 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #6,168 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,598 born since 1912
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kemper ranks #3,790 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,168 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,598 born since 1912, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3,790 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,168 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,598
- born since 1912
- 2010s
- peak decade
Kemper's 1,598 recorded births place it above 91.66% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
10 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Virginia.
How Kemper compares
1,598 Top 25% higher than 75% 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
Kemper's all-time total is 4x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kemper | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,598 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 70 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kemper's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kemper's SSA record in two at 1970 and the more recent half accounts for 74% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 26%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1912, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2009 peak of 70, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kemper popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (2009)
- 70
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Kemper popularity over time - girls
301 total births recorded since 1999 (Kemper as girls' name)
Kemper by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (452 births, 28% of the file).
2010s was Kemper's strongest decade.
452 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Kemper births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 63
1910s
63 births
- 1920s 76
1920s
76 births
- 1930s 42
1930s
42 births
- 1940s 78
1940s
78 births
- 1950s 74
1950s
74 births
- 1960s 81
1960s
81 births
- 1970s 56
1970s
56 births
- 1980s 51
1980s
51 births
- 1990s 99
1990s
99 births
- 2000s
2000s
380 births
- 2010s
2010s
452 births
- 2020s 146
2020s
146 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 452 births (28% of all-time use).
How Kemper 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 Kemper's total volume
Kemper by state
Where Kemper concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Virginia | | 27 | 1.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 18 | 1.1% |
| #3 | Kansas | | 17 | 1.1% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 14 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Missouri | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 11 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Iowa | | 6 | 0.4% |
| #8 | California | | 5 | 0.3% |
27 of 1,598 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Kemper appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kemper? ▼
Where does Kemper sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kemper most popular? ▼
Where is Kemper most popular? ▼
Is Kemper a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Kemper been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kemper? ▼
What to do with Kemper's data
- Kemper's decade-level peak was the 2010s (452 total births); usage has since declined to 146 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Virginia records the most Kempers (27 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Virginia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kemper
Nearby Names Like Kemper
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kemper
Compare Kemper side by side: Kemper vs Kemari Kemper vs Kemp Kemper vs Kemarion
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kemper
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kemper: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2009)
Similar record span (~113 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, 1912–2025 (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 Kemper 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.