Boys' name · since 1900
Ken
Ken has 33,013 recorded births since 1900 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #647 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,246 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 33,013
- born since 1900
- 1960s
- peak decade
Yes -- Ken is the #3246 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 33,013 recorded since 1900.
Social Security Administration records show Ken recorded 33,013 times among boys since 1900, holding rank #3246 nationally today, ahead of 77% 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 1900 to 2025.
- #647 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,246 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 33,013 born since 1900
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Ken ranks #647 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,246 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 33,013 born since 1900, peaking in the 1960s.
- #647 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,246 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 33,013
- born since 1900
- 1960s
- peak decade
Ken's 33,013 recorded births place it above 98.57% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
49 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Ken compares
33,013 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Ken's all-time total is 89x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ken | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 33,013 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,775 | 34 | 22,252 |
Ken's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ken's full recorded timeline at 1967, 26% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 74% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1910, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1960 peak of 1,775 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ken popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1900–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 1,775
- Annual births at peak, across 126 years of records
Ken popularity over time - girls
30 total births recorded since 1960 (Ken as girls' name)
Ken by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (11,898 births, 36% of the file).
1960s was Ken's strongest decade.
11,898 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Ken births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 7
1900s
7 births
- 1910s 140
1910s
140 births
- 1920s 380
1920s
380 births
- 1930s 1,667
1930s
1,667 births
- 1940s
1940s
4,874 births
- 1950s
1950s
7,111 births
- 1960s
1960s
11,898 births
- 1970s 2,243
1970s
2,243 births
- 1980s 1,231
1980s
1,231 births
- 1990s 1,191
1990s
1,191 births
- 2000s 1,228
2000s
1,228 births
- 2010s 776
2010s
776 births
- 2020s 267
2020s
267 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 11,898 births (36% of all-time use).
How Ken 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 Ken's total volume
Ken by state
Where Ken concentrates geographically, total births since 1900
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,047 | 18.3% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 1,912 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 1,865 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Texas | | 1,623 | 4.9% |
| #5 | New York | | 1,538 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 1,487 | 4.5% |
| #7 | Washington | | 1,217 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 851 | 2.6% |
6,047 of 33,013 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Ken appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ken? ▼
Where does Ken sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Ken most popular? ▼
Where is Ken most popular? ▼
How long has the name Ken been used? ▼
What names are similar to Ken? ▼
What to do with Ken's data
- Ken's decade-level peak was the 1960s (11,898 total births); usage has since declined to 267 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kens (6,047 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ken
Nearby Names Like Ken
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ken
Compare Ken side by side: Ken vs Kenneth Ken vs Kent Ken vs Kenny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ken
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Ken: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1960)
Similar record span (~125 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, 1900–2025 (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 Ken 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.