Total births
51,931
Boys' name · since 1908
Kenny
Kenny has 51,931 recorded births since 1908 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1356
- among boys today
- 51,931
- born since 1908
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kenny is the #1356 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 51,931 recorded since 1908.
Social Security Administration records show Kenny recorded 51,931 times among boys since 1908, holding rank #1356 nationally today, ahead of 91% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1908 to 2025.
- #1356 among boys today
- 51,931 born since 1908
- 1960s peak decade
- 91% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kenny is currently the #1356 boys' name in America, more common than 91% of boys - 51,931 born since 1908, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1356
- among boys today
- 51,931
- born since 1908
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 91%
- more common than other boys
Kenny vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1356
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 91% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Kenny was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
1,934 babies were named Kenny in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Kenny compares
51,931 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Kenny's all-time total is 142x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kenny | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 51,931 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 1,934 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kenny's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kenny splits its recorded history at 1968: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1909 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1960 peak of 1,934 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kenny at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1960
Current rank
#1,356
Active since
1908
Kenny popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 1,934
- Annual births at peak, across 118 years of records
Kenny popularity over time - girls
548 total births recorded since 1924 (Kenny as girls' name)
Kenny by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Kenny's strongest decade.
12,363 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Kenny births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 11
1900s
11 births
- 1910s 85
1910s
85 births
- 1920s 262
1920s
262 births
- 1930s 1,310
1930s
1,310 births
- 1940s 4,945
1940s
4,945 births
- 1950s
1950s
8,389 births
- 1960s
1960s
12,363 births
- 1970s 4,789
1970s
4,789 births
- 1980s
1980s
5,596 births
- 1990s
1990s
5,314 births
- 2000s
2000s
5,169 births
- 2010s 2,741
2010s
2,741 births
- 2020s 957
2020s
957 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 12,363 births (24% of all-time use).
How Kenny 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 Kenny's total volume
Kenny vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kenny by state
Where Kenny concentrates geographically, total births since 1908
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,404 | 12.3% |
| #2 | New York | | 4,246 | 8.2% |
| #3 | Texas | | 3,316 | 6.4% |
| #4 | Florida | | 2,288 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 2,138 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 1,985 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 1,707 | 3.3% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 1,690 | 3.3% |
California share of Kenny's total US births 12.3%
Even split
6,404 of 51,931 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 48 reporting states.
Kenny appears in 48 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kenny? ▼
51,931 babies have been named Kenny since 1908. It currently ranks #1356 among boys. The peak year was 1960 with 1,934 births.
When was Kenny most popular? ▼
Kenny was most popular in the 1960s decade with 12,363 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Kenny most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kenny are California (6,404 births), New York (4,246 births), Texas (3,316 births).
How long has the name Kenny been used? ▼
Records for Kenny go back to 1908, giving 118 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kenny? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kenneth, Kent, Kendall, Kendrick, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kenny's data
- Kenny's decade-level peak was the 1960s (12,363 total births); usage has since declined to 957 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kennys (6,404 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 Kenny
Nearby Names Like Kenny
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kenny
Kenneth Boy
#284 1,283,974 births
Kent Boy
#1632 69,322 births
Kendall Boy
#1225 35,350 births
Kendrick Boy
#478 33,557 births
Ken Boy
#3281 33,013 births
Compare Kenny side by side: Kenny vs Kenneth Kenny vs Kent Kenny vs Kendall
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kenny
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, 1908–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kenny: #1356 Boys' Name - 51,931 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kenny. 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 Kenny 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.