Boys' name · since 1880
Kenneth
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 1,283,974 babies named Kenneth, peaking in 1957. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #22 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #294 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,283,974
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
1,283,974 babies have been named Kenneth since 1880, making it today's #294 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kenneth recorded 1,283,974 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #294 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #22 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #294 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 1,283,974 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kenneth ranks #22 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #294 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 1,283,974 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #22 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #294 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,283,974
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
Kenneth's 1,283,974 recorded births place it above 99.95% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
How Kenneth compares
1,283,974 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Kenneth's all-time total is 3,480x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kenneth | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,283,974 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 28,064 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kenneth's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kenneth splits its recorded history at 1953: 57% of all births land in the more recent half, 43% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1882 (22 births) -- compare that against the 1957 peak of 28,064 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kenneth popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 28,064
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Kenneth popularity over time - girls
5,338 total births recorded since 1904 (Kenneth as girls' name)
Kenneth by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (262,819 births, 20% of the file).
1950s was Kenneth's strongest decade.
262,819 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Kenneth births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 362
1880s
362 births
- 1890s 1,298
1890s
1,298 births
- 1900s 4,579
1900s
4,579 births
- 1910s 43,248
1910s
43,248 births
- 1920s 99,490
1920s
99,490 births
- 1930s
1930s
125,111 births
- 1940s
1940s
198,553 births
- 1950s
1950s
262,819 births
- 1960s
1960s
227,531 births
- 1970s
1970s
111,489 births
- 1980s 89,110
1980s
89,110 births
- 1990s 58,254
1990s
58,254 births
- 2000s 34,090
2000s
34,090 births
- 2010s 20,213
2010s
20,213 births
- 2020s 7,827
2020s
7,827 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 262,819 births (20% of all-time use).
How Kenneth 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 Kenneth's total volume
Kenneth by state
Where Kenneth concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 98,981 | 7.7% |
| #2 | California | | 92,166 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 75,231 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 74,568 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 69,041 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Texas | | 68,973 | 5.4% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 63,333 | 4.9% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 37,997 | 3.0% |
98,981 of 1,283,974 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kenneth appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kenneth? ▼
Where does Kenneth sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kenneth most popular? ▼
Where is Kenneth most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kenneth been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kenneth? ▼
What to do with Kenneth's data
- Kenneth's decade-level peak was the 1950s (262,819 total births); usage has since declined to 7,827 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kenneths (98,981 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kenneth
Nearby Names Like Kenneth
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kenneth
Compare Kenneth side by side: Kenneth vs Kent Kenneth vs Kenny Kenneth vs Kendall
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kenneth
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kenneth: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1957)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Kenneth 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.