King
King was given to 786 boys in 2025, #405 among boys’ names; 37,890 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 33,500 Americans named King and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (89% of everyone recorded); the median is 10 years old and half are between 6 and 13.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of King by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
How popular is King?
#405 among boys’ names, 2025
King fell from #163 in 2015 to #405 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 1.3 to 0.46 per 1,000.
2,705 babies in 2017, the peak
King peaked in 2017, when 2,705 babies were given it (2,696 boys, #147 among boys’ names). The 786 births of 2025 are 29% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 786 | #405 | 0.46 |
| 2024 | 1,006 | #342 | 0.58 |
| 2023 | 1,286 | #265 | 0.75 |
| 2022 | 1,656 | #222 | 0.95 |
| 2021 | 2,055 | #185 | 1.2 |
| 2020 | 2,268 | #171 | 1.3 |
| 2019 | 2,473 | #157 | 1.4 |
| 2018 | 2,613 | #149 | 1.4 |
| 2017 | 2,696 | #147 | 1.5 |
| 2016 | 2,672 | #153 | 1.4 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2,568 | #163 | 1.3 |
| 2014 | 2,438 | #175 | 1.3 |
| 2013 | 2,110 | #193 | 1.1 |
| 2012 | 1,434 | #257 | 0.76 |
| 2011 | 730 | #389 | 0.38 |
| 2010 | 706 | #399 | 0.37 |
| 2009 | 591 | #461 | 0.30 |
| 2008 | 329 | #711 | 0.16 |
| 2007 | 321 | #720 | 0.15 |
| 2006 | 219 | #894 | 0.11 |
| 2005 | 149 | #1,106 | 0.07 |
| 2004 | 77 | #1,681 | 0.04 |
| 2003 | 70 | #1,741 | 0.04 |
| 2002 | 57 | #1,958 | 0.03 |
| 2001 | 63 | #1,785 | 0.03 |
| 2000 | 74 | #1,593 | 0.04 |
| 1999 | 46 | #2,080 | 0.02 |
| 1998 | 52 | #1,886 | 0.03 |
| 1997 | 45 | #2,009 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 38 | #2,201 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 40 | #2,068 | 0.02 |
| 1994 | 50 | #1,756 | 0.03 |
| 1993 | 42 | #1,950 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 40 | #1,984 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 39 | #1,967 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 47 | #1,712 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 28 | #2,384 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 30 | #2,111 | 0.02 |
| 1987 | 21 | #2,599 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 31 | #1,941 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 41 | #1,579 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 31 | #1,814 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 31 | #1,800 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 54 | #1,269 | 0.03 |
| 1981 | 40 | #1,532 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 28 | #1,985 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 41 | #1,478 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 36 | #1,585 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 28 | #1,843 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 26 | #1,905 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 30 | #1,684 | 0.02 |
| 1974 | 25 | #1,866 | 0.02 |
| 1973 | 24 | #1,849 | 0.02 |
| 1972 | 41 | #1,318 | 0.03 |
| 1971 | 34 | #1,480 | 0.02 |
| 1970 | 31 | #1,534 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 27 | #1,586 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 42 | #1,174 | 0.02 |
| 1967 | 37 | #1,238 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 37 | #1,251 | 0.02 |
| 1965 | 45 | #1,119 | 0.02 |
| 1964 | 77 | #873 | 0.04 |
| 1963 | 42 | #1,204 | 0.02 |
| 1962 | 59 | #997 | 0.03 |
| 1961 | 35 | #1,357 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 53 | #1,063 | 0.02 |
| 1959 | 60 | #1,000 | 0.03 |
| 1958 | 53 | #1,056 | 0.02 |
| 1957 | 64 | #949 | 0.03 |
| 1956 | 59 | #972 | 0.03 |
| 1955 | 68 | #901 | 0.03 |
| 1954 | 77 | #826 | 0.04 |
| 1953 | 63 | #905 | 0.03 |
| 1952 | 93 | #730 | 0.05 |
| 1951 | 81 | #782 | 0.04 |
| 1950 | 90 | #722 | 0.05 |
| 1949 | 79 | #776 | 0.04 |
| 1948 | 84 | #733 | 0.05 |
| 1947 | 79 | #774 | 0.04 |
| 1946 | 78 | #748 | 0.05 |
| 1945 | 80 | #673 | 0.06 |
| 1944 | 82 | #691 | 0.06 |
| 1943 | 86 | #695 | 0.06 |
| 1942 | 105 | #618 | 0.08 |
| 1941 | 70 | #741 | 0.06 |
| 1940 | 75 | #700 | 0.06 |
| 1939 | 87 | #632 | 0.08 |
| 1938 | 91 | #625 | 0.08 |
| 1937 | 85 | #645 | 0.08 |
| 1936 | 71 | #711 | 0.07 |
| 1935 | 67 | #755 | 0.06 |
| 1934 | 91 | #632 | 0.09 |
| 1933 | 79 | #662 | 0.08 |
| 1932 | 67 | #775 | 0.06 |
| 1931 | 73 | #714 | 0.07 |
| 1930 | 90 | #649 | 0.08 |
| 1929 | 94 | #632 | 0.09 |
| 1928 | 81 | #705 | 0.07 |
| 1927 | 85 | #705 | 0.08 |
| 1926 | 113 | #592 | 0.10 |
| 1925 | 95 | #658 | 0.09 |
| 1924 | 109 | #612 | 0.10 |
| 1923 | 100 | #642 | 0.09 |
| 1922 | 114 | #606 | 0.10 |
| 1921 | 99 | #650 | 0.09 |
| 1920 | 108 | #607 | 0.10 |
| 1919 | 120 | #547 | 0.12 |
| 1918 | 89 | #654 | 0.09 |
| 1917 | 90 | #626 | 0.10 |
| 1916 | 102 | #568 | 0.11 |
| 1915 | 111 | #530 | 0.13 |
| 1914 | 74 | #584 | 0.11 |
| 1913 | 58 | #575 | 0.11 |
| 1912 | 72 | #465 | 0.17 |
| 1911 | 32 | #526 | 0.14 |
| 1910 | 47 | #378 | 0.24 |
| 1909 | 31 | #457 | 0.19 |
| 1908 | 37 | #385 | 0.24 |
| 1907 | 37 | #371 | 0.25 |
| 1906 | 28 | #417 | 0.21 |
| 1905 | 24 | #456 | 0.18 |
| 1904 | 24 | #441 | 0.19 |
| 1903 | 19 | #496 | 0.16 |
| 1902 | 29 | #372 | 0.24 |
| 1901 | 15 | #521 | 0.14 |
| 1900 | 33 | #391 | 0.22 |
| 1899 | 23 | #389 | 0.22 |
| 1898 | 27 | #382 | 0.22 |
| 1897 | 32 | #328 | 0.28 |
| 1896 | 24 | #403 | 0.20 |
| 1895 | 24 | #395 | 0.20 |
| 1894 | 20 | #430 | 0.17 |
| 1893 | 23 | #379 | 0.20 |
| 1892 | 26 | #378 | 0.21 |
| 1891 | 13 | #514 | 0.13 |
| 1890 | 21 | #399 | 0.19 |
| 1889 | 21 | #396 | 0.19 |
| 1888 | 27 | #357 | 0.22 |
| 1887 | 13 | #501 | 0.13 |
| 1886 | 23 | #362 | 0.21 |
| 1885 | 25 | #350 | 0.23 |
| 1884 | 25 | #359 | 0.22 |
| 1883 | 22 | #364 | 0.21 |
| 1882 | 26 | #350 | 0.23 |
| 1881 | 20 | #381 | 0.20 |
| 1880 | 27 | #331 | 0.24 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is King a boy’s or a girl’s name?
King has been given almost only to boys: 40 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named King: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named King, and how old are they?
33,500 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 89% of the 37,890 Americans ever recorded as King. The median King alive today is 10 years old; half are between 6 and 13.
The 2020 Census counted 22,343 people named King (651 women and girls, 21,692 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 25,523 born in the U.S. The Census count is 12% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 288 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 838 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 468 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 573 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 4,910 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 26,500 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named King born?
The states with the most babies named King are Texas, California and Florida, with 32% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 107 | #351 | 1.0× |
| California | 70 | #458 | 0.7× |
| Florida | 65 | #299 | 1.6× |
| Georgia | 57 | #216 | 2.0× |
| New York | 42 | #413 | 0.8× |
| North Carolina | 37 | #322 | 1.4× |
| Ohio | 29 | #386 | 0.8× |
| Illinois | 28 | #391 | 0.7× |
| Virginia | 25 | #337 | 1.0× |
| South Carolina | 24 | #237 | 2.0× |
Where King is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, King is most over-represented in Georgia: since 1910 it was given 2.0 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of King with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 4 names spelled alike, given to 40,492 babies since 1880, King is the most given (94% of them). In 2025 it was given to 786 of their 884 babies (89%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as King
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about King and names like it
- Compare King and KyngBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2010sKing peaked in 2017.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named King since 1910.
- The top names of 2017The year the most babies were named King.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named King alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with KMost given first.