Total births
179,817
Unisex name · since 1914
Kim
Since 1914, U.S. Social Security records show 179,817 babies named Kim, peaking in 1960. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4788
- among girls today
- 179,817
- born since 1914
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Kim is the #4788 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 179,817 recorded since 1914.
Kim has 179,817 recorded births among girls since 1914, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4788 as of the latest data, more common than 73% of girls, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1914 to 2025.
- #4788 among girls today
- 179,817 born since 1914
- 1960s peak decade
- 73% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kim is currently the #4788 unisex name in America, more common than 73% of girls - 179,817 born since 1914, peaking in the 1960s.
- #4788
- among girls today
- 179,817
- born since 1914
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 73%
- more common than other girls
Kim vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4788
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 73% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
52% of everyone ever named Kim was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
12,477 babies were named Kim in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Kim compares
179,817 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Kim's all-time total is 471x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kim | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 179,817 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 12,477 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kim's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kim's full recorded timeline at 1974, 8% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 92% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1914, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1960 peak of 12,477 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kim at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1960
Current rank
#4,788
Active since
1914
Kim popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1914–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 12,477
- Annual births at peak, across 112 years of records
Kim popularity over time - boys
34,951 total births recorded since 1912 (Kim as boys' name)
Kim by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Kim's strongest decade.
94,388 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 52% of all-time use.
Kim births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 57
1920s
57 births
- 1930s 209
1930s
209 births
- 1940s 1,285
1940s
1,285 births
- 1950s
1950s
56,080 births
- 1960s
1960s
94,388 births
- 1970s 20,697
1970s
20,697 births
- 1980s 3,816
1980s
3,816 births
- 1990s 1,600
1990s
1,600 births
- 2000s 875
2000s
875 births
- 2010s 587
2010s
587 births
- 2020s 218
2020s
218 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 94,388 births (52% of all-time use).
How Kim 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 Kim's total volume
Kim vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kim by state
Where Kim concentrates geographically, total births since 1914
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 20,639 | 11.5% |
| #2 | California | | 17,051 | 9.5% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 10,228 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 8,945 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 8,869 | 4.9% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 8,777 | 4.9% |
| #7 | Wisconsin | | 7,865 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Texas | | 7,178 | 4.0% |
New York share of Kim's total US births 11.5%
Even split
20,639 of 179,817 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kim appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kim? ▼
Kim has been given to 179,817 babies in the U.S. since 1914, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #4788 as of the latest data. 12,477 babies were born in 1960, its single highest year.
When was Kim most popular? ▼
Kim was most popular in the 1960s decade with 94,388 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Kim most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kim are New York (20,639 births), California (17,051 births), Pennsylvania (10,228 births).
Is Kim a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kim is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 179,817 births, and as a boy's name it has 34,951 births.
How long has the name Kim been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kim since 1914 -- 112 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kim? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kimberly, Kimberley, Kimberlee, Kimber, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kim's data
- Kim's decade-level peak was the 1960s (94,388 total births); usage has since declined to 218 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kims (20,639 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Kim
Nearby Names Like Kim
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kim
Kimberly Girl
#247 846,393 births
Kimberley Girl
#5043 38,043 births
Kimberlee Girl
#5179 17,690 births
Kimber Girl
#909 11,215 births
Kimora Girl
#1055 9,869 births
Compare Kim side by side: Kim vs Kimberly Kim vs Kimberley Kim vs Kimberlee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kim
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, 1914–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kim: #4788 Unisex Name - 179,817 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kim. 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 Kim 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.