Total births
8,948
Girls' name · since 1987
Kensley
8,948 babies named Kensley in U.S. Social Security records since 1987, with the highest year being 2018. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #746
- among girls today
- 8,948
- born since 1987
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Kensley currently ranks #746 among girls' names in America, with 8,948 babies recorded since 1987.
Social Security Administration records show Kensley recorded 8,948 times among girls since 1987, holding rank #746 nationally today, ahead of 96% of girls, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1987 to 2025.
- #746 among girls today
- 8,948 born since 1987
- 2010s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kensley is currently the #746 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 8,948 born since 1987, peaking in the 2010s.
- #746
- among girls today
- 8,948
- born since 1987
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Kensley vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#746
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
55% of everyone ever named Kensley was born in this single decade.
2018
Single peak year
738 babies were named Kensley in 2018 - its busiest year on record.
How Kensley compares
8,948 Top 10% higher than 90% 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
Kensley's all-time total is 23x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kensley | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,948 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 738 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kensley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kensley's SSA record in two at 2006 and the more recent half accounts for 93% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 7%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1988, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 2018 peak of 738, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kensley at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2018
Current rank
#746
Active since
1987
Kensley popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1987–2025
- Peak year (2018)
- 738
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Kensley popularity over time - boys
337 total births recorded since 1989 (Kensley as boys' name)
Kensley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Kensley's strongest decade.
4,945 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 55% of all-time use.
Kensley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 22
1980s
22 births
- 1990s 215
1990s
215 births
- 2000s 938
2000s
938 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,945 births
- 2020s
2020s
2,828 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 4,945 births (55% of all-time use).
How Kensley 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 Kensley's total volume
Kensley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kensley by state
Where Kensley concentrates geographically, total births since 1987
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 804 | 9.0% |
| #2 | Georgia | | 683 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Alabama | | 587 | 6.6% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 499 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Florida | | 453 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Tennessee | | 442 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 373 | 4.2% |
| #8 | California | | 333 | 3.7% |
Texas share of Kensley's total US births 9.0%
Even split
804 of 8,948 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Kensley appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kensley? ▼
Since 1987, Social Security records show 8,948 babies named Kensley. Today it holds rank #746 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2018, with 738 births.
When was Kensley most popular? ▼
Kensley was most popular in the 2010s decade with 4,945 total births. The single peak year was 2018.
Where is Kensley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kensley are Texas (804 births), Georgia (683 births), Alabama (587 births).
How long has the name Kensley been used? ▼
Kensley has been recorded in Social Security data since 1987, spanning 39 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kensley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kendra, Kennedy, Kendall, Kenya, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kensley's data
- Kensley's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (4,945 total births) through the 2020s (2,828) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Kensleys (804 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Kensley
Nearby Names Like Kensley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kensley
Kendra Girl
#686 98,438 births
Kennedy Girl
#89 93,663 births
Kendall Girl
#311 66,533 births
Kenya Girl
#1659 25,412 births
Kenzie Girl
#628 21,391 births
Compare Kensley side by side: Kensley vs Kendra Kensley vs Kennedy Kensley vs Kendall
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kensley
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, 1987–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kensley: #746 Girls' Name - 8,948 Births, Peak 2018." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kensley. 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 Kensley 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.