Total births
5,624
Boys' name · since 1913
Kenji
Since 1913, U.S. Social Security records show 5,624 babies named Kenji, peaking in 2022. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #855
- among boys today
- 5,624
- born since 1913
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Kenji currently ranks #855 among boys' names in America, with 5,624 babies recorded since 1913.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kenji has been recorded 5,624 times among boys since 1913, currently ranked #855 nationally and more common than 94% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2020s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1913 to 2025.
- #855 among boys today
- 5,624 born since 1913
- 2020s peak decade
- 94% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kenji is currently the #855 boys' name in America, more common than 94% of boys - 5,624 born since 1913, peaking in the 2020s.
- #855
- among boys today
- 5,624
- born since 1913
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 94%
- more common than other boys
Kenji vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#855
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 94% of names given to boys today.
2020s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Kenji was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
337 babies were named Kenji in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Kenji compares
5,624 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Kenji's all-time total is 15x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kenji | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,624 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 337 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kenji's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kenji splits its recorded history at 1976: 88% of all births land in the more recent half, 12% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1913 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2022 peak of 337 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kenji at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2022
Current rank
#855
Active since
1913
Kenji popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1913–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 337
- Annual births at peak, across 113 years of records
Kenji popularity over time - girls
33 total births recorded since 1975 (Kenji as girls' name)
Kenji by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Kenji's strongest decade.
1,692 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Kenji births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 85
1910s
85 births
- 1920s 213
1920s
213 births
- 1930s 96
1930s
96 births
- 1940s 23
1940s
23 births
- 1950s 18
1950s
18 births
- 1960s 104
1960s
104 births
- 1970s 430
1970s
430 births
- 1980s 359
1980s
359 births
- 1990s 423
1990s
423 births
- 2000s
2000s
889 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,292 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,692 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 1,692 births (30% of all-time use).
How Kenji 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 Kenji's total volume
Kenji vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kenji by state
Where Kenji concentrates geographically, total births since 1913
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,483 | 26.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 258 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Florida | | 246 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Texas | | 241 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Hawaii | | 186 | 3.3% |
| #6 | Minnesota | | 126 | 2.2% |
| #7 | Washington | | 121 | 2.2% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 115 | 2.0% |
California share of Kenji's total US births 26.4%
Even split
1,483 of 5,624 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 30 reporting states.
Kenji appears in 30 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kenji? ▼
5,624 babies have been named Kenji since 1913. It currently ranks #855 among boys. The peak year was 2022 with 337 births.
When was Kenji most popular? ▼
Kenji was most popular in the 2020s decade with 1,692 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Kenji most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kenji are California (1,483 births), New York (258 births), Florida (246 births).
How long has the name Kenji been used? ▼
Records for Kenji go back to 1913, giving 113 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kenji? ▼
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 Kenji's data
- California records the most Kenjis (1,483 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 Kenji
Nearby Names Like Kenji
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kenji
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 Kenji side by side: Kenji vs Kenneth Kenji vs Kent Kenji vs Kenny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kenji
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, 1913–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kenji: #855 Boys' Name - 5,624 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kenji. 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 Kenji 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.