Total births
1,283,974
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.
- #284
- among boys today
- 1,283,974
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
1,283,974 babies have been named Kenneth since 1880, making it today's #284 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kenneth recorded 1,283,974 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #284 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.
- #284 among boys today
- 1,283,974 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kenneth is currently the #284 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 1,283,974 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #284
- among boys today
- 1,283,974
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Kenneth vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#284
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Kenneth was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
28,064 babies were named Kenneth in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Kenneth compares
1,283,974 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Kenneth's all-time total is 3,499x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kenneth | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,283,974 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 28,064 | 23 | 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 at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1957
Current rank
#284
Active since
1880
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
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% |
New York share of Kenneth's total US births 7.7%
Even split
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? ▼
1,283,974 babies have been named Kenneth since 1880. It currently ranks #284 among boys. The peak year was 1957 with 28,064 births.
When was Kenneth most popular? ▼
Kenneth was most popular in the 1950s decade with 262,819 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Kenneth most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kenneth are New York (98,981 births), California (92,166 births), Pennsylvania (75,231 births).
How long has the name Kenneth been used? ▼
Kenneth has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kenneth? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kent, Kenny, Kendall, Kendrick, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
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
- 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 Kenneth
Nearby Names Like Kenneth
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kenneth
Kent Boy
#1632 69,322 births
Kenny Boy
#1356 51,931 births
Kendall Boy
#1225 35,350 births
Kendrick Boy
#478 33,557 births
Ken Boy
#3281 33,013 births
Compare Kenneth side by side: Kenneth vs Kent Kenneth vs Kenny Kenneth vs Kendall
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kenneth
Romeo #283
26,864 births · Peak 2024
Jorge #285
139,476 births · Peak 2006
Saint #282
7,288 births · Peak 2025
Angelo #286
86,106 births · Peak 2007
Holden #281
32,507 births · Peak 2018
Remington #287
23,977 births · Peak 2019
Tobias #280
29,322 births · Peak 2016
Paxton #288
28,194 births · Peak 2016
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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kenneth: #284 Boys' Name - 1,283,974 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kenneth. 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 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 June 2026.