Total births
4,645
Boys' name · since 1947
Kenan
4,645 babies named Kenan in U.S. Social Security records since 1947, with the highest year being 2024. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1134
- among boys today
- 4,645
- born since 1947
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kenan is the #1134 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 4,645 recorded since 1947.
Kenan has 4,645 recorded births among boys since 1947, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1134 as of the latest data, more common than 92% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1947 to 2025.
- #1134 among boys today
- 4,645 born since 1947
- 2010s peak decade
- 92% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kenan is currently the #1134 boys' name in America, more common than 92% of boys - 4,645 born since 1947, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1134
- among boys today
- 4,645
- born since 1947
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other boys
Kenan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1134
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 92% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Kenan was born in this single decade.
2024
Single peak year
187 babies were named Kenan in 2024 - its busiest year on record.
How Kenan compares
4,645 Top 13% higher than 87% 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
Kenan's all-time total is 13x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kenan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,645 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 187 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kenan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kenan splits its recorded history at 1989: 84% of all births land in the more recent half, 16% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1947 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2024 peak of 187 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kenan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2024
Current rank
#1,134
Active since
1947
Kenan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1947–2025
- Peak year (2024)
- 187
- Annual births at peak, across 79 years of records
Kenan popularity over time - girls
30 total births recorded since 1985 (Kenan as girls' name)
Kenan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Kenan's strongest decade.
1,104 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Kenan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1950s 52
1950s
52 births
- 1960s 107
1960s
107 births
- 1970s 258
1970s
258 births
- 1980s 350
1980s
350 births
- 1990s
1990s
770 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,045 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,104 births
- 2020s
2020s
949 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,104 births (24% of all-time use).
How Kenan 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 Kenan's total volume
Kenan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kenan by state
Where Kenan concentrates geographically, total births since 1947
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 324 | 7.0% |
| #2 | North Carolina | | 319 | 6.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 305 | 6.6% |
| #4 | Texas | | 253 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 202 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Florida | | 165 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 154 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 117 | 2.5% |
California share of Kenan's total US births 7.0%
Even split
324 of 4,645 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Kenan appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kenan? ▼
4,645 babies have been named Kenan since 1947. It currently ranks #1134 among boys. The peak year was 2024 with 187 births.
When was Kenan most popular? ▼
Kenan was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,104 total births. The single peak year was 2024.
Where is Kenan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kenan are California (324 births), North Carolina (319 births), New York (305 births).
How long has the name Kenan been used? ▼
Records for Kenan go back to 1947, giving 79 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kenan? ▼
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 Kenan's data
- Kenan's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,104 total births) through the 2020s (949) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Kenans (324 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 Kenan
Nearby Names Like Kenan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kenan
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 Kenan side by side: Kenan vs Kenneth Kenan vs Kent Kenan vs Kenny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kenan
Gary #1133
902,152 births · Peak 1952
Sol #1135
8,285 births · Peak 1918
Zayan #1132
2,275 births · Peak 2025
Yaseen #1136
3,337 births · Peak 2025
Cristiano #1131
3,898 births · Peak 2015
Knowledge #1137
2,375 births · Peak 2020
Mikael #1130
5,939 births · Peak 2023
Kanan #1138
1,809 births · Peak 2022
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, 1947–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kenan: #1134 Boys' Name - 4,645 Births, Peak 2024." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kenan. 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 Kenan 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.