Total births
1,184,507
Boys' name · since 1912
Kevin
1,184,507 babies named Kevin in U.S. Social Security records since 1912, with the highest year being 1963. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #196
- among boys today
- 1,184,507
- born since 1912
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Kevin currently ranks #196 among boys' names in America, with 1,184,507 babies recorded since 1912.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kevin has been recorded 1,184,507 times among boys since 1912, currently ranked #196 nationally and more common than 99% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1912 to 2025.
- #196 among boys today
- 1,184,507 born since 1912
- 1960s peak decade
- 99% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kevin is currently the #196 boys' name in America, more common than 99% of boys - 1,184,507 born since 1912, peaking in the 1960s.
- #196
- among boys today
- 1,184,507
- born since 1912
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 99%
- more common than other boys
Kevin vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#196
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Kevin was born in this single decade.
1963
Single peak year
30,613 babies were named Kevin in 1963 - its busiest year on record.
How Kevin compares
1,184,507 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
Kevin's all-time total is 3,228x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kevin | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,184,507 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 30,613 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kevin's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kevin's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 65% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 35%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1912, with only 9 births recorded -- set against the 1963 peak of 30,613, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kevin at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1963
Current rank
#196
Active since
1912
Kevin popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1912–2025
- Peak year (1963)
- 30,613
- Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
Kevin popularity over time - girls
5,337 total births recorded since 1938 (Kevin as girls' name)
Kevin by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Kevin's strongest decade.
271,412 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Kevin births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 117
1910s
117 births
- 1920s 599
1920s
599 births
- 1930s 1,623
1930s
1,623 births
- 1940s 11,268
1940s
11,268 births
- 1950s
1950s
159,010 births
- 1960s
1960s
271,412 births
- 1970s
1970s
212,231 births
- 1980s
1980s
188,670 births
- 1990s
1990s
165,232 births
- 2000s
2000s
111,081 births
- 2010s 51,318
2010s
51,318 births
- 2020s 11,946
2020s
11,946 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 271,412 births (23% of all-time use).
How Kevin 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 Kevin's total volume
Kevin vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kevin by state
Where Kevin concentrates geographically, total births since 1912
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 138,556 | 11.7% |
| #2 | New York | | 114,546 | 9.7% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 67,872 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Texas | | 67,820 | 5.7% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 61,762 | 5.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 55,365 | 4.7% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 51,134 | 4.3% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 46,665 | 3.9% |
California share of Kevin's total US births 11.7%
Even split
138,556 of 1,184,507 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kevin appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kevin? ▼
Kevin has been given to 1,184,507 babies in the U.S. since 1912, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #196 as of the latest data. 30,613 babies were born in 1963, its single highest year.
When was Kevin most popular? ▼
Kevin was most popular in the 1960s decade with 271,412 total births. The single peak year was 1963.
Where is Kevin most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kevin are California (138,556 births), New York (114,546 births), Illinois (67,872 births).
How long has the name Kevin been used? ▼
Records for Kevin go back to 1912, giving 114 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kevin? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Keven, Kevon, Kevan, Kevyn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kevin's data
- Kevin's decade-level peak was the 1960s (271,412 total births); usage has since declined to 11,946 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kevins (138,556 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 Kevin
Nearby Names Like Kevin
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kevin
Keven Boy
#6248 8,752 births
Kevon Boy
#2848 5,447 births
Kevan Boy
#7859 3,479 births
Kevyn Boy
#5951 2,141 births
Kevion Boy
#4977 1,097 births
Compare Kevin side by side: Kevin vs Keven Kevin vs Kevon Kevin vs Kevan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kevin
Tatum #195
13,225 births · Peak 2024
Andres #197
96,284 births · Peak 2007
Zachary #194
551,752 births · Peak 1993
Finn #198
34,949 births · Peak 2017
Camden #193
59,178 births · Peak 2013
Justin #199
790,469 births · Peak 1988
Peter #192
589,588 births · Peak 1957
Tucker #200
55,150 births · Peak 2014
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, 1912–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kevin: #196 Boys' Name - 1,184,507 Births, Peak 1963." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kevin. 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 Kevin 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.