Total births
691
Boys' name · since 1979
Kou
691 babies named Kou in U.S. Social Security records since 1979, with the highest year being 1992. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 691
- total births
- 1979–2017
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 47%
- born in that decade
Kou sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 691 recorded since 1979.
Social Security Administration records show Kou recorded 691 times among boys since 1979, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2017.
- 691 total births
- 1979–2017 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 47% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
691 boys have been named Kou since 1979, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2017.
- 691
- total births
- 1979–2017
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 47%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
47% of everyone ever named Kou was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
48 babies were named Kou in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
Kou's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kou's full recorded timeline at 1995, 24% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 76% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 2007, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1992 peak of 48 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kou at a glance
Last recorded 2017Peak year
1992
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1979
Kou popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2017
- Peak year (1992)
- 48
- Annual births at peak, across 39 years of records
Kou popularity over time - girls
33 total births recorded since 1981 (Kou as girls' name)
Kou by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Kou's strongest decade.
323 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Kou births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s
1980s
323 births
- 1990s
1990s
279 births
- 2000s 63
2000s
63 births
- 2010s 20
2010s
20 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 323 births (47% of all-time use).
How Kou 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 Kou's total volume
Kou vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kou by state
Where Kou concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 257 | 37.2% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 105 | 15.2% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 104 | 15.1% |
| #4 | Colorado | | 6 | 0.9% |
California share of Kou's total US births 37.2%
Even split
257 of 691 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kou? ▼
691 babies have been named Kou since 1979. It was last recorded in 2017. The peak year was 1992 with 48 births.
When was Kou most popular? ▼
Kou was most popular in the 1980s decade with 323 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Kou most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kou are California (257 births), Minnesota (105 births), Wisconsin (104 births).
How long has the name Kou been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kou since 1979 -- 39 years through the most recent 2017 data.
What names are similar to Kou? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kourtney, Kourosh, Kourtland, Kouper, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kou's data
- Kou's decade-level peak was the 1980s (323 total births); usage has since declined to 20 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kous (257 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 Kou
Nearby Names Like Kou
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kou
Kourtney Boy
#11192 840 births
Kourosh Boy
#11309 186 births
Kourtland Boy
132 births
Kouper Boy
87 births
Koua Boy
63 births
Compare Kou side by side: Kou vs Kourtney Kou vs Kourosh Kou vs Kourtland
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1979–2017 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kou: Baby Name Since 1979 - 691 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kou. 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 Kou 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 July 2026.