Ken

Last seen for girls in 1990 at #12,958 · #3,240 for boys in 2025, 36 births
Given to boys 99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
1960 · 1,775 births
Debut · boys
7 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
33,013
since 1900

Ken over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Ken has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201955peak #177, 1960boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#3,24036
2024—#3,27236
2023—#3,22837
2022—#2,64850
2021—#2,52352
2020—#2,36656
2019—#2,55651
2018—#2,21062
2017—#2,15463
2016—#1,72490
2015—#1,75387
2014—#1,76685
2013—#1,87875
2012—#1,498107
2011—#1,68788
2010—#2,01068
2009—#1,562104
2008—#1,504108
2007—#1,376120
2006—#1,239135
2005—#1,302117
2004—#1,053153
2003—#1,282110
2002—#1,094134
2001—#1,129124
2000—#1,128123
1999—#1,114119
1998—#1,189104
1997—#1,016125
1996—#1,030119
1995—#987126
1994—#1,053112
1993—#1,097104
1992—#1,029113
1991—#939127
1990#12,9585#857142
1989—#856138
1988—#907111
1987—#829126
1986—#901102
1985—#845113
1984—#811116
1983—#856105
1982—#760134
1981—#717145
1980—#739141
1979—#794119
1978—#717137
1977—#762124
1976—#715137
1975#9,0675#659156
1974—#564202
1973—#513232
1972—#464287
1971—#424363
1970#7,9955#368486
1969—#356494
1968—#305601
1967—#284650
1966—#252820
1965—#2181,100
1964—#1921,475
1963—#1781,634
1962#6,5785#1811,684
1961#6,5675#1881,665
1960#6,3905#1771,775
1959—#1821,653
1958—#1851,533
1957—#2211,178
1956—#285657
1955—#345439
1954—#367370
1953—#394317
1952—#382321
1951—#395296
1950—#362347
1949—#320456
1948—#261622
1947—#247707
1946—#227684
1945—#272479
1944—#287427
1943—#294444
1942—#302407
1941—#312345
1940—#326303
1939—#335276
1938—#349252
1937—#385203
1936—#376211
1935—#435167
1934—#457152
1933—#550108
1932—#511127
1931—#60595
1930—#71876
1929—#87857
1928—#1,22834
1927—#1,01248
1926—#91654
1925—#1,12139
1924—#1,24634
1923—#1,32230
1922—#1,36729
1921—#1,58823
1920—#1,27332
1919—#1,75219
1918—#1,90517
1917—#1,58721
1916—#1,77117
1915—#1,55320
1914—#1,97511
1913—#1,80310
1912—#1,26814
1911—#1,5376
1910—#1,5895
1909——
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1900—#1,0507
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First appearance
1900

The first year at least five boys were named Ken! It came in at #1,050, and was given to 7 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1901–1910, when fewer than 6 boys a year got the name.

Where Ken is popular in 1955

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedNHWashington: #211 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 1,944 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #204 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,546 boysNDMinnesota: #266 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 4,889 boysMNIllinois: #310 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 4,691 boysILWisconsin: #222 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 3,445 boysWIMichigan: #245 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 3,196 boysMINew York: #492 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 12,446 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedRIOregon: #225 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 2,247 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedSDIowa: #285 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,412 boysIAIndiana: #232 for boys · 20 births · 1 in 2,650 boysINOhio: #273 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 4,242 boysOHPennsylvania: #400 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 10,952 boysPANew Jersey: #285 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 5,756 boysNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #256 for boys · 60 births · 1 in 2,640 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedUTColorado: #265 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,795 boysCONebraska: #234 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 2,665 boysNEMissouri: #272 for boys · 14 births · 1 in 3,361 boysMOKentucky: #331 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 4,567 boysKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedWVVirginia: #398 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 6,200 boysVAMaryland: #308 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 4,358 boysMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedNMKansas: #236 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,196 boysKSArkansas: #327 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 3,345 boysARTennessee: #436 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 8,223 boysTNNorth Carolina: #356 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 4,569 boysNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #284 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 2,714 boysOKLouisiana: #426 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 5,088 boysLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedALGeorgia: #372 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 4,903 boysGAHawaii: #151 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 630 boysHITexas: #428 for boys · 28 births · 1 in 4,319 boysTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Ken, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Hawaii#151 · 1 in 630
  2. North Dakota#204 · 1 in 1,546
  3. Washington#211 · 1 in 1,944
  4. Wisconsin#222 · 1 in 3,445
  5. Oregon#225 · 1 in 2,247

Best ever in a state: #81 in Montana, 1959.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Hawaii#151111 in 630
North Dakota#20451 in 1,546
Washington#211161 in 1,944
Wisconsin#222131 in 3,445
Oregon#22581 in 2,247
Indiana#232201 in 2,650
Nebraska#23461 in 2,665
Kansas#236111 in 2,196
Michigan#245301 in 3,196
California#256601 in 2,640
Colorado#26571 in 2,795
Minnesota#26681 in 4,889
Missouri#272141 in 3,361
Ohio#273261 in 4,242
Oklahoma#28491 in 2,714
Iowa#28571 in 4,412
New Jersey#285101 in 5,756
Maryland#30871 in 4,358
Illinois#310231 in 4,691
Arkansas#32761 in 3,345
Kentucky#33181 in 4,567
North Carolina#356121 in 4,569
Georgia#372101 in 4,903
Virginia#39871 in 6,200
Pennsylvania#400111 in 10,952
Louisiana#42681 in 5,088
Texas#428281 in 4,319
Tennessee#43651 in 8,223
New York#492141 in 12,446
Alabama———
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Arizona———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Idaho———
Maine———
Massachusetts———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
West Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Ken
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 32 spots since 2024 (#3,272 → #3,240)
  • 874 spots since 2020 (#2,366 → #3,240)
  • 1,487 spots since 2015 (#1,753 → #3,240)
  • Biggest jump: 350 spots in 1929 (#1,228 → #878)
  • Biggest drop: 96 spots in 1927 (#916 → #1,012)
Rise & fade · boys
60 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1900
  • Peaked 1960 at #177 (1,775 births)
  • Births halved by 1966, 6 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 65 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 65 yrs · run 1929–1991
Share of babies · boys
1 in 1,201
  • Highest: 1 in 1,201 boys born in 1960 were named Ken (0.08%)
  • Latest: 1 in 47,447 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 1960s
  • 36.0% of all boys named Ken (11,898) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1900s7#1,050 (1900)#1,050
1910s140#1,268 (1912)#1,674
1920s380#878 (1929)#1,195
1930s1,667#335 (1939)#472
1940s4,874#227 (1946)#285
1950s7,111#182 (1959)#312
1960s11,898#177 (1960)#233
1970s2,243#368 (1970)#598
1980s1,231#717 (1981)#822
1990s1,191#857 (1990)#1,031
2000s1,228#1,053 (2004)#1,267
2010s776#1,498 (2012)#1,924
2020s267#2,366 (2020)#2,880

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Ken in 1955

boys
#345
439 births · 1 in 4,692 boys

Top boys' names in 1955

  1. #1Michael88,355
  2. #2David86,306
  3. #3James84,186
  4. #4Robert83,758
  5. #5John80,128
  6. #6William59,990
  7. #7Richard53,566
  8. #8Thomas45,855
  9. #9Mark42,255
  10. #10Steven37,847
  11. #345Ken439
More about 1955

boys

2,059,889 boys got a published name in 1955; 1 in 4,692 of them was named Ken, which outranked 92.2% of the 4,400 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 32.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Ken
  1. #342Hal455
  2. #343Willis452
  3. #344Marlon449
  4. #345Ken439
  5. #346Wilbur435
  6. #347Angel433
  7. #348Adrian431
Biggest movers since 1954
Risers
  1. ↑ 808Davy#1,333 → #525
  2. ↑ 326Wyatt#985 → #659
  3. ↑ 323Moises#1,311 → #988
  4. ↑ 296Tad#1,068 → #772
  5. ↑ 286Rhett#1,122 → #836
Fallers
  1. ↓ 738Rahn#908 → #1,646
  2. ↓ 415Ricci#739 → #1,154
  3. ↓ 321Meredith#952 → #1,273
  4. ↓ 309Michial#985 → #1,294
  5. ↓ 282Arvin#973 → #1,255

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1955 →