Total births
69,322
Boys' name · since 1885
Kent
Since 1885, U.S. Social Security records show 69,322 babies named Kent, peaking in 1962. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1632
- among boys today
- 69,322
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
69,322 babies have been named Kent since 1885, making it today's #1632 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kent recorded 69,322 times among boys since 1885, holding rank #1632 nationally today, ahead of 89% 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 1885 to 2025.
- #1632 among boys today
- 69,322 born since 1885
- 1960s peak decade
- 89% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kent is currently the #1632 boys' name in America, more common than 89% of boys - 69,322 born since 1885, peaking in the 1960s.
- #1632
- among boys today
- 69,322
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other boys
Kent vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#1632
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 89% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Kent was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
2,587 babies were named Kent in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
How Kent compares
69,322 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
Kent's all-time total is 189x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kent | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 69,322 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,587 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kent's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kent splits its recorded history at 1961: 51% of all births land in the more recent half, 49% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1885 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1962 peak of 2,587 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kent at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1962
Current rank
#1,632
Active since
1885
Kent popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1885–2025
- Peak year (1962)
- 2,587
- Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
Kent popularity over time - girls
171 total births recorded since 1926 (Kent as girls' name)
Kent by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Kent's strongest decade.
19,258 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Kent births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5
1880s
5 births
- 1890s 31
1890s
31 births
- 1900s 55
1900s
55 births
- 1910s 388
1910s
388 births
- 1920s 1,082
1920s
1,082 births
- 1930s 3,123
1930s
3,123 births
- 1940s
1940s
8,346 births
- 1950s
1950s
18,691 births
- 1960s
1960s
19,258 births
- 1970s 6,728
1970s
6,728 births
- 1980s 4,999
1980s
4,999 births
- 1990s 2,902
1990s
2,902 births
- 2000s 1,615
2000s
1,615 births
- 2010s 1,425
2010s
1,425 births
- 2020s 674
2020s
674 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 19,258 births (28% of all-time use).
How Kent 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 Kent's total volume
Kent vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kent by state
Where Kent concentrates geographically, total births since 1885
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,672 | 9.6% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 4,730 | 6.8% |
| #3 | Indiana | | 3,391 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 3,375 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Texas | | 3,018 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Utah | | 2,884 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Minnesota | | 2,626 | 3.8% |
| #8 | Iowa | | 2,606 | 3.8% |
California share of Kent's total US births 9.6%
Even split
6,672 of 69,322 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kent appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kent? ▼
Kent has been given to 69,322 babies in the U.S. since 1885, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #1632 as of the latest data. 2,587 babies were born in 1962, its single highest year.
When was Kent most popular? ▼
Kent was most popular in the 1960s decade with 19,258 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Kent most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kent are California (6,672 births), Illinois (4,730 births), Indiana (3,391 births).
How long has the name Kent been used? ▼
Kent has been recorded in Social Security data since 1885, spanning 141 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kent? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kenneth, Kenny, Kendall, Kendrick, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kent's data
- Kent's decade-level peak was the 1960s (19,258 total births); usage has since declined to 674 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kents (6,672 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 Kent
Nearby Names Like Kent
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kent
Kenneth Boy
#284 1,283,974 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 Kent side by side: Kent vs Kenneth Kent vs Kenny Kent vs Kendall
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kent
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, 1885–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kent: #1632 Boys' Name - 69,322 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kent. 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 Kent 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.