Total births
183
Boys' name · since 1995
Kinston
Since 1995, U.S. Social Security records show 183 babies named Kinston, peaking in 2019. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #11490
- among boys today
- 183
- born since 1995
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 20%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Kinston is the #11490 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 183 recorded since 1995.
Kinston has 183 recorded births among boys since 1995, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #11490 as of the latest data, more common than 20% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1995 to 2025.
- #11490 among boys today
- 183 born since 1995
- 2010s peak decade
- 20% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kinston is currently the #11490 boys' name in America, more common than 20% of boys - 183 born since 1995, peaking in the 2010s.
- #11490
- among boys today
- 183
- born since 1995
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 20%
- more common than other boys
Kinston vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#11490
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 20% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
57% of everyone ever named Kinston was born in this single decade.
2019
Single peak year
16 babies were named Kinston in 2019 - its busiest year on record.
How Kinston compares
183 37th percentile among 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
Kinston's all-time total is 50% below the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kinston | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 183 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 16 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kinston's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kinston splits its recorded history at 2013: 56% of all births land in the more recent half, 44% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1995 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2019 peak of 16 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kinston at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2019
Current rank
#11,490
Active since
1995
Kinston popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1995–2025
- Peak year (2019)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 31 years of records
Kinston by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Kinston's strongest decade.
105 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 57% of all-time use.
Kinston births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
- 2000s
2000s
45 births
- 2010s
2010s
105 births
- 2020s 28
2020s
28 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 105 births (57% of all-time use).
Kinston by state
Where Kinston concentrates geographically, total births since 1995
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 41 | 22.4% |
| #2 | South Carolina | | 6 | 3.3% |
North Carolina share of Kinston's total US births 22.4%
Even split
41 of 183 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kinston? ▼
Since 1995, Social Security records show 183 babies named Kinston. Today it holds rank #11490 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2019, with 16 births.
When was Kinston most popular? ▼
Kinston was most popular in the 2010s decade with 105 total births. The single peak year was 2019.
Where is Kinston most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kinston are North Carolina (41 births), South Carolina (6 births).
How long has the name Kinston been used? ▼
Kinston has been recorded in Social Security data since 1995, spanning 31 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kinston? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kingston, King, Kingsley, Kingsten, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kinston's data
- Kinston's decade-level peak was the 2010s (105 total births); usage has since declined to 28 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Kinstons (41 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Kinston
Nearby Names Like Kinston
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kinston
Kingston Boy
#177 46,406 births
King Boy
#342 37,850 births
Kingsley Boy
#984 6,709 births
Kingsten Boy
#3968 798 births
Kingstyn Boy
#2669 666 births
Compare Kinston side by side: Kinston vs Kingston Kinston vs King Kinston vs Kingsley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kinston
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, 1995–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kinston: #11490 Boys' Name - 183 Births, Peak 2019." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kinston. 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 Kinston 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.