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.
- #410 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,656 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 69,322
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
69,322 babies have been named Kent since 1885, making it today's #1656 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Kent recorded 69,322 times among boys since 1885, holding rank #1656 nationally today, ahead of 88% 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.
- #410 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #1,656 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 69,322 born since 1885
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kent ranks #410 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #1,656 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 69,322 born since 1885, peaking in the 1960s.
- #410 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #1,656 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 69,322
- born since 1885
- 1960s
- peak decade
Kent's 69,322 recorded births place it above 99.09% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Kent compares
69,322 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Kent's all-time total is 188x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kent | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 69,322 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,587 | 34 | 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 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
1960s is the heaviest window (19,258 births, 28% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Kent sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kent most popular? ▼
Where is Kent most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kent been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kent? ▼
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
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
Compare Kent side by side: Kent vs Kenneth Kent vs Kenny Kent vs Kendall
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kent
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kent: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1962)
Similar record span (~140 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, 1885–2025 (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 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 August 2026.