Total births
98,438
Girls' name · since 1936
Kendra
Since 1936, U.S. Social Security records show 98,438 babies named Kendra, peaking in 1987. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #686
- among girls today
- 98,438
- born since 1936
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
98,438 babies have been named Kendra since 1936, making it today's #686 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kendra recorded 98,438 times among girls since 1936, holding rank #686 nationally today, ahead of 96% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1936 to 2025.
- #686 among girls today
- 98,438 born since 1936
- 1980s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kendra is currently the #686 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 98,438 born since 1936, peaking in the 1980s.
- #686
- among girls today
- 98,438
- born since 1936
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Kendra vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#686
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Kendra was born in this single decade.
1987
Single peak year
3,841 babies were named Kendra in 1987 - its busiest year on record.
How Kendra compares
98,438 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Kendra's all-time total is 258x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kendra | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 98,438 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,841 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kendra's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kendra splits its recorded history at 1981: 75% of all births land in the more recent half, 25% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1937 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1987 peak of 3,841 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kendra at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1987
Current rank
#686
Active since
1936
Kendra popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1936–2025
- Peak year (1987)
- 3,841
- Annual births at peak, across 90 years of records
Kendra popularity over time - boys
350 total births recorded since 1971 (Kendra as boys' name)
Kendra by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Kendra's strongest decade.
24,387 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Kendra births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 33
1930s
33 births
- 1940s 523
1940s
523 births
- 1950s 1,568
1950s
1,568 births
- 1960s 5,334
1960s
5,334 births
- 1970s
1970s
15,661 births
- 1980s
1980s
24,387 births
- 1990s
1990s
23,972 births
- 2000s
2000s
14,237 births
- 2010s
2010s
10,188 births
- 2020s 2,535
2020s
2,535 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 24,387 births (25% of all-time use).
How Kendra compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Kendra's total volume
Kendra vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kendra by state
Where Kendra concentrates geographically, total births since 1936
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 8,523 | 8.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 8,163 | 8.3% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 4,995 | 5.1% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 4,351 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 4,242 | 4.3% |
| #6 | New York | | 3,800 | 3.9% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 3,647 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Florida | | 3,293 | 3.3% |
California share of Kendra's total US births 8.7%
Even split
8,523 of 98,438 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kendra appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kendra? ▼
98,438 babies have been named Kendra since 1936. It currently ranks #686 among girls. The peak year was 1987 with 3,841 births.
When was Kendra most popular? ▼
Kendra was most popular in the 1980s decade with 24,387 total births. The single peak year was 1987.
Where is Kendra most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kendra are California (8,523 births), Texas (8,163 births), Ohio (4,995 births).
How long has the name Kendra been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kendra since 1936 -- 90 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kendra? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kennedy, Kendall, Kenya, Kenzie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kendra's data
- Kendra's decade-level peak was the 1980s (24,387 total births); usage has since declined to 2,535 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kendras (8,523 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 Kendra
Nearby Names Like Kendra
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kendra
Kennedy Girl
#89 93,663 births
Kendall Girl
#311 66,533 births
Kenya Girl
#1659 25,412 births
Kenzie Girl
#628 21,391 births
Kennedi Girl
#685 15,537 births
Compare Kendra side by side: Kendra vs Kennedy Kendra vs Kendall Kendra vs Kenya
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kendra
Kennedi #685
15,537 births · Peak 2015
Violeta #687
8,730 births · Peak 2025
Whitley #684
8,148 births · Peak 1988
Lennox #688
5,409 births · Peak 2021
Jenna #683
148,587 births · Peak 1985
Laney #689
14,024 births · Peak 2006
Lillie #682
158,918 births · Peak 1919
Marigold #690
2,978 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, 1936–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kendra: #686 Girls' Name - 98,438 Births, Peak 1987." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kendra. 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 Kendra 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.