Total births
2,505
Boys' name · since 1961
Kiel
Kiel has 2,505 recorded births since 1961 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1983 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #11140
- among boys today
- 2,505
- born since 1961
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 22%
- more common than other boys
Kiel currently ranks #11140 among boys' names in America, with 2,505 babies recorded since 1961.
Kiel has 2,505 recorded births among boys since 1961, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #11140 as of the latest data, more common than 22% of boys, busiest in the 1980s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1961 to 2025.
- #11140 among boys today
- 2,505 born since 1961
- 1980s peak decade
- 22% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kiel is currently the #11140 boys' name in America, more common than 22% of boys - 2,505 born since 1961, peaking in the 1980s.
- #11140
- among boys today
- 2,505
- born since 1961
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 22%
- more common than other boys
Kiel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#11140
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 22% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
60% of everyone ever named Kiel was born in this single decade.
1983
Single peak year
279 babies were named Kiel in 1983 - its busiest year on record.
How Kiel compares
2,505 Top 19% higher than 81% 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
Kiel's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kiel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,505 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 279 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kiel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kiel splits its recorded history at 1995: 23% of all births land in the more recent half, 77% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1961 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1983 peak of 279 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kiel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1983
Current rank
#11,140
Active since
1961
Kiel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1961–2025
- Peak year (1983)
- 279
- Annual births at peak, across 65 years of records
Kiel popularity over time - girls
30 total births recorded since 1983 (Kiel as girls' name)
Kiel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Kiel's strongest decade.
1,504 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 60% of all-time use.
Kiel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 27
1960s
27 births
- 1970s 91
1970s
91 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,504 births
- 1990s 509
1990s
509 births
- 2000s 214
2000s
214 births
- 2010s 107
2010s
107 births
- 2020s 53
2020s
53 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 1,504 births (60% of all-time use).
How Kiel 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 Kiel's total volume
Kiel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kiel by state
Where Kiel concentrates geographically, total births since 1961
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 226 | 9.0% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 129 | 5.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 96 | 3.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 85 | 3.4% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 83 | 3.3% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 61 | 2.4% |
| #7 | Texas | | 54 | 2.2% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 53 | 2.1% |
California share of Kiel's total US births 9.0%
Even split
226 of 2,505 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Kiel appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kiel? ▼
2,505 babies have been named Kiel since 1961. It currently ranks #11140 among boys. The peak year was 1983 with 279 births.
When was Kiel most popular? ▼
Kiel was most popular in the 1980s decade with 1,504 total births. The single peak year was 1983.
Where is Kiel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kiel are California (226 births), Illinois (129 births), New York (96 births).
How long has the name Kiel been used? ▼
Kiel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1961, spanning 65 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kiel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kieran, Kieth, Kiefer, Kiernan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kiel's data
- Kiel's decade-level peak was the 1980s (1,504 total births); usage has since declined to 53 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kiels (226 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 Kiel
Nearby Names Like Kiel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kiel
Kieran Boy
#440 17,613 births
Kieth Boy
2,837 births
Kiefer Boy
#12851 1,950 births
Kiernan Boy
#3115 1,761 births
Kieron Boy
#10055 730 births
Compare Kiel side by side: Kiel vs Kieran Kiel vs Kieth Kiel vs Kiefer
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kiel
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, 1961–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kiel: #11140 Boys' Name - 2,505 Births, Peak 1983." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kiel. 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 Kiel 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.