Total births
33,013
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.
- #3281
- among boys today
- 33,013
- born since 1900
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Ken is the #3281 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 #3281 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.
- #3281 among boys today
- 33,013 born since 1900
- 1960s peak decade
- 77% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ken is currently the #3281 boys' name in America, more common than 77% of boys - 33,013 born since 1900, peaking in the 1960s.
- #3281
- among boys today
- 33,013
- born since 1900
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 77%
- more common than other boys
Ken vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3281
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 77% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Ken was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
1,775 babies were named Ken in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Ken compares
33,013 Top 5% higher than 95% 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
Ken's all-time total is 90x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ken | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 33,013 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,775 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1960
Current rank
#3,281
Active since
1900
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
California share of Ken's total US births 18.3%
Even split
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? ▼
Since 1900, Social Security records show 33,013 babies named Ken. Today it holds rank #3281 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1960, with 1,775 births.
When was Ken most popular? ▼
Ken was most popular in the 1960s decade with 11,898 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Ken most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ken are California (6,047 births), Illinois (1,912 births), Michigan (1,865 births).
How long has the name Ken been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Ken since 1900 -- 126 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Ken? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kenneth, Kent, Kenny, Kendall, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Ken
Nearby Names Like Ken
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ken
Kenneth Boy
#284 1,283,974 births
Kent Boy
#1632 69,322 births
Kenny Boy
#1356 51,931 births
Kendall Boy
#1225 35,350 births
Kendrick Boy
#478 33,557 births
Compare Ken side by side: Ken vs Kenneth Ken vs Kent Ken vs Kenny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ken
Leopoldo #3280
5,975 births · Peak 1980
Lavon #3282
5,113 births · Peak 2006
Nevin #3279
6,372 births · Peak 2007
Giacomo #3283
1,896 births · Peak 2006
Jordon #3278
13,762 births · Peak 1991
Arlow #3284
366 births · Peak 2022
Carlisle #3277
1,862 births · Peak 2012
Augusto #3285
1,740 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, 1900–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ken: #3281 Boys' Name - 33,013 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ken. 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 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 June 2026.