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
- Peak · boys
- 1960 · 1,775 births
- Debut · boys
- 7 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 33,013since 1900
Ken over time
Rank among boys' names. Ken has never cracked the top 100 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #3,240 | 36 | |
| 2024 | — | #3,272 | 36 | |
| 2023 | — | #3,228 | 37 | |
| 2022 | — | #2,648 | 50 | |
| 2021 | — | #2,523 | 52 | |
| 2020 | — | #2,366 | 56 | |
| 2019 | — | #2,556 | 51 | |
| 2018 | — | #2,210 | 62 | |
| 2017 | — | #2,154 | 63 | |
| 2016 | — | #1,724 | 90 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,753 | 87 | |
| 2014 | — | #1,766 | 85 | |
| 2013 | — | #1,878 | 75 | |
| 2012 | — | #1,498 | 107 | |
| 2011 | — | #1,687 | 88 | |
| 2010 | — | #2,010 | 68 | |
| 2009 | — | #1,562 | 104 | |
| 2008 | — | #1,504 | 108 | |
| 2007 | — | #1,376 | 120 | |
| 2006 | — | #1,239 | 135 | |
| 2005 | — | #1,302 | 117 | |
| 2004 | — | #1,053 | 153 | |
| 2003 | — | #1,282 | 110 | |
| 2002 | — | #1,094 | 134 | |
| 2001 | — | #1,129 | 124 | |
| 2000 | — | #1,128 | 123 | |
| 1999 | — | #1,114 | 119 | |
| 1998 | — | #1,189 | 104 | |
| 1997 | — | #1,016 | 125 | |
| 1996 | — | #1,030 | 119 | |
| 1995 | — | #987 | 126 | |
| 1994 | — | #1,053 | 112 | |
| 1993 | — | #1,097 | 104 | |
| 1992 | — | #1,029 | 113 | |
| 1991 | — | #939 | 127 | |
| 1990 | #12,958 | 5 | #857 | 142 |
| 1989 | — | #856 | 138 | |
| 1988 | — | #907 | 111 | |
| 1987 | — | #829 | 126 | |
| 1986 | — | #901 | 102 | |
| 1985 | — | #845 | 113 | |
| 1984 | — | #811 | 116 | |
| 1983 | — | #856 | 105 | |
| 1982 | — | #760 | 134 | |
| 1981 | — | #717 | 145 | |
| 1980 | — | #739 | 141 | |
| 1979 | — | #794 | 119 | |
| 1978 | — | #717 | 137 | |
| 1977 | — | #762 | 124 | |
| 1976 | — | #715 | 137 | |
| 1975 | #9,067 | 5 | #659 | 156 |
| 1974 | — | #564 | 202 | |
| 1973 | — | #513 | 232 | |
| 1972 | — | #464 | 287 | |
| 1971 | — | #424 | 363 | |
| 1970 | #7,995 | 5 | #368 | 486 |
| 1969 | — | #356 | 494 | |
| 1968 | — | #305 | 601 | |
| 1967 | — | #284 | 650 | |
| 1966 | — | #252 | 820 | |
| 1965 | — | #218 | 1,100 | |
| 1964 | — | #192 | 1,475 | |
| 1963 | — | #178 | 1,634 | |
| 1962 | #6,578 | 5 | #181 | 1,684 |
| 1961 | #6,567 | 5 | #188 | 1,665 |
| 1960 | #6,390 | 5 | #177 | 1,775 |
| 1959 | — | #182 | 1,653 | |
| 1958 | — | #185 | 1,533 | |
| 1957 | — | #221 | 1,178 | |
| 1956 | — | #285 | 657 | |
| 1955 | — | #345 | 439 | |
| 1954 | — | #367 | 370 | |
| 1953 | — | #394 | 317 | |
| 1952 | — | #382 | 321 | |
| 1951 | — | #395 | 296 | |
| 1950 | — | #362 | 347 | |
| 1949 | — | #320 | 456 | |
| 1948 | — | #261 | 622 | |
| 1947 | — | #247 | 707 | |
| 1946 | — | #227 | 684 | |
| 1945 | — | #272 | 479 | |
| 1944 | — | #287 | 427 | |
| 1943 | — | #294 | 444 | |
| 1942 | — | #302 | 407 | |
| 1941 | — | #312 | 345 | |
| 1940 | — | #326 | 303 | |
| 1939 | — | #335 | 276 | |
| 1938 | — | #349 | 252 | |
| 1937 | — | #385 | 203 | |
| 1936 | — | #376 | 211 | |
| 1935 | — | #435 | 167 | |
| 1934 | — | #457 | 152 | |
| 1933 | — | #550 | 108 | |
| 1932 | — | #511 | 127 | |
| 1931 | — | #605 | 95 | |
| 1930 | — | #718 | 76 | |
| 1929 | — | #878 | 57 | |
| 1928 | — | #1,228 | 34 | |
| 1927 | — | #1,012 | 48 | |
| 1926 | — | #916 | 54 | |
| 1925 | — | #1,121 | 39 | |
| 1924 | — | #1,246 | 34 | |
| 1923 | — | #1,322 | 30 | |
| 1922 | — | #1,367 | 29 | |
| 1921 | — | #1,588 | 23 | |
| 1920 | — | #1,273 | 32 | |
| 1919 | — | #1,752 | 19 | |
| 1918 | — | #1,905 | 17 | |
| 1917 | — | #1,587 | 21 | |
| 1916 | — | #1,771 | 17 | |
| 1915 | — | #1,553 | 20 | |
| 1914 | — | #1,975 | 11 | |
| 1913 | — | #1,803 | 10 | |
| 1912 | — | #1,268 | 14 | |
| 1911 | — | #1,537 | 6 | |
| 1910 | — | #1,589 | 5 | |
| 1909 | — | — | ||
| 1908 | — | — | ||
| 1907 | — | — | ||
| 1906 | — | — | ||
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | — | ||
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | — | #1,050 | 7 | |
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | — | — | ||
| 1897 | — | — | ||
| 1896 | — | — | ||
| 1895 | — | — | ||
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
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 1979
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Hawaii#261 · 1 in 1,288
- Wisconsin#396 · 1 in 6,906
- Mississippi#414 · 1 in 3,785
- Louisiana#576 · 1 in 5,816
- New York#600 · 1 in 8,540
Best ever in a state: #81 in Montana, 1959.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | #261 | 5 | 1 in 1,288 |
| Wisconsin | #396 | 5 | 1 in 6,906 |
| Mississippi | #414 | 5 | 1 in 3,785 |
| Louisiana | #576 | 6 | 1 in 5,816 |
| New York | #600 | 13 | 1 in 8,540 |
| California | #659 | 19 | 1 in 9,459 |
| Pennsylvania | #684 | 5 | 1 in 15,214 |
| Michigan | #688 | 5 | 1 in 13,406 |
| Texas | #1,196 | 5 | 1 in 24,663 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Florida | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Illinois | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Ohio | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| 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
- 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)
- Debuted 1900
- Peaked 1960 at #177 (1,775 births)
- Births halved by 1966, 6 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 65 yrs · run 1929–1991
- 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%)
- 36.0% of all boys named Ken (11,898) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 7 | #1,050 (1900) | #1,050 |
| 1910s | 140 | #1,268 (1912) | #1,674 |
| 1920s | 380 | #878 (1929) | #1,195 |
| 1930s | 1,667 | #335 (1939) | #472 |
| 1940s | 4,874 | #227 (1946) | #285 |
| 1950s | 7,111 | #182 (1959) | #312 |
| 1960s | 11,898 | #177 (1960) | #233 |
| 1970s | 2,243 | #368 (1970) | #598 |
| 1980s | 1,231 | #717 (1981) | #822 |
| 1990s | 1,191 | #857 (1990) | #1,031 |
| 2000s | 1,228 | #1,053 (2004) | #1,267 |
| 2010s | 776 | #1,498 (2012) | #1,924 |
| 2020s | 267 | #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 1979
Top boys' names in 1979
More about 1979
boys
1,721,536 boys got a published name in 1979; 1 in 14,467 of them was named Ken, which outranked 88.8% of the 7,071 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.1% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).