Kenji
- Last seen for girls in 2009 at #13,704
- #943 for boys in 2025, 249 births
- Given to boys 99.4% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1978 · 128 births
- Debut · boys
- 5 births
- In top 100 · boys
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 5,624since 1913
Kenji over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Kenji has never cracked the top 700 here.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | #943 | 249 | |
| 2024 | — | #854 | 284 | |
| 2023 | — | #827 | 296 | |
| 2022 | — | #754 | 337 | |
| 2021 | — | #845 | 281 | |
| 2020 | — | #910 | 245 | |
| 2019 | — | #1,218 | 156 | |
| 2018 | — | #1,294 | 141 | |
| 2017 | — | #1,314 | 137 | |
| 2016 | — | #1,399 | 125 | |
| 2015 | — | #1,406 | 122 | |
| 2014 | — | #1,619 | 96 | |
| 2013 | — | #1,352 | 125 | |
| 2012 | — | #1,359 | 124 | |
| 2011 | — | #1,198 | 147 | |
| 2010 | — | #1,399 | 119 | |
| 2009 | #13,704 | 7 | #1,148 | 159 |
| 2008 | — | #1,211 | 145 | |
| 2007 | — | #1,477 | 108 | |
| 2006 | — | #1,519 | 99 | |
| 2005 | — | #1,752 | 75 | |
| 2004 | — | #1,989 | 60 | |
| 2003 | — | #1,936 | 60 | |
| 2002 | #15,432 | 5 | #1,888 | 59 |
| 2001 | — | #1,629 | 72 | |
| 2000 | — | #1,968 | 52 | |
| 1999 | — | #1,778 | 56 | |
| 1998 | — | #1,585 | 66 | |
| 1997 | — | #2,024 | 44 | |
| 1996 | — | #2,017 | 43 | |
| 1995 | — | #1,648 | 55 | |
| 1994 | — | #2,685 | 27 | |
| 1993 | — | #2,455 | 30 | |
| 1992 | — | #2,002 | 39 | |
| 1991 | — | #2,227 | 32 | |
| 1990 | — | #2,255 | 31 | |
| 1989 | — | #2,416 | 27 | |
| 1988 | — | #2,197 | 28 | |
| 1987 | — | #2,468 | 22 | |
| 1986 | — | #1,791 | 34 | |
| 1985 | — | #1,916 | 30 | |
| 1984 | — | #1,656 | 35 | |
| 1983 | — | #1,905 | 28 | |
| 1982 | — | #1,415 | 45 | |
| 1981 | — | #1,520 | 40 | |
| 1980 | #7,418 | 8 | #1,079 | 70 |
| 1979 | — | #965 | 84 | |
| 1978 | #7,649 | 7 | #749 | 128 |
| 1977 | — | #1,158 | 57 | |
| 1976 | — | #1,873 | 26 | |
| 1975 | #7,984 | 6 | #1,835 | 26 |
| 1974 | — | #1,832 | 25 | |
| 1973 | — | #1,653 | 28 | |
| 1972 | — | #1,966 | 21 | |
| 1971 | — | #2,126 | 19 | |
| 1970 | — | #2,293 | 16 | |
| 1969 | — | #2,046 | 17 | |
| 1968 | — | #1,962 | 17 | |
| 1967 | — | #2,242 | 13 | |
| 1966 | — | #2,465 | 11 | |
| 1965 | — | #2,780 | 9 | |
| 1964 | — | #3,050 | 8 | |
| 1963 | — | #3,318 | 7 | |
| 1962 | — | #3,305 | 7 | |
| 1961 | — | #3,356 | 7 | |
| 1960 | — | #3,077 | 8 | |
| 1959 | — | #3,619 | 6 | |
| 1958 | — | #3,275 | 7 | |
| 1957 | — | — | ||
| 1956 | — | #3,942 | 5 | |
| 1955 | — | — | ||
| 1954 | — | — | ||
| 1953 | — | — | ||
| 1952 | — | — | ||
| 1951 | — | — | ||
| 1950 | — | — | ||
| 1949 | — | — | ||
| 1948 | — | — | ||
| 1947 | — | — | ||
| 1946 | — | — | ||
| 1945 | — | — | ||
| 1944 | — | #2,633 | 8 | |
| 1943 | — | #2,964 | 7 | |
| 1942 | — | — | ||
| 1941 | — | — | ||
| 1940 | — | #2,671 | 8 | |
| 1939 | — | #2,159 | 11 | |
| 1938 | — | #2,479 | 9 | |
| 1937 | — | #2,088 | 12 | |
| 1936 | — | #3,147 | 6 | |
| 1935 | — | #2,396 | 10 | |
| 1934 | — | #2,563 | 9 | |
| 1933 | — | #2,093 | 12 | |
| 1932 | — | #3,361 | 6 | |
| 1931 | — | #2,471 | 10 | |
| 1930 | — | #2,444 | 11 | |
| 1929 | — | #1,731 | 19 | |
| 1928 | — | #1,902 | 17 | |
| 1927 | — | #2,034 | 16 | |
| 1926 | — | #1,981 | 16 | |
| 1925 | — | #1,360 | 29 | |
| 1924 | — | #1,776 | 20 | |
| 1923 | — | #1,551 | 24 | |
| 1922 | — | #1,333 | 30 | |
| 1921 | — | #2,152 | 15 | |
| 1920 | — | #1,416 | 27 | |
| 1919 | — | #1,531 | 23 | |
| 1918 | — | #1,905 | 17 | |
| 1917 | — | #1,986 | 15 | |
| 1916 | — | #2,543 | 10 | |
| 1915 | — | #3,392 | 6 | |
| 1914 | — | #2,271 | 9 | |
| 1913 | — | #2,821 | 5 | |
| 1912 | — | — | ||
| 1911 | — | — | ||
| 1910 | — | — | ||
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| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
First appearance
1913
The first year at least five boys were named Kenji! It came in at #2,821, and was given to 5 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1941–1942, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.
Where Kenji is popular in 2025
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- Hawaii#126 · 1 in 365
- Nevada#443 · 1 in 1,882
- Wisconsin#484 · 1 in 2,343
- Washington#576 · 1 in 2,733
- California#582 · 1 in 3,441
Best ever in a state: #43 in Hawaii, 1917.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | #126 | 8 | 1 in 365 |
| Nevada | #443 | 6 | 1 in 1,882 |
| Wisconsin | #484 | 10 | 1 in 2,343 |
| Washington | #576 | 12 | 1 in 2,733 |
| California | #582 | 51 | 1 in 3,441 |
| Massachusetts | #620 | 7 | 1 in 3,860 |
| South Carolina | #668 | 6 | 1 in 3,533 |
| Missouri | #709 | 7 | 1 in 3,973 |
| Ohio | #750 | 11 | 1 in 4,776 |
| North Carolina | #825 | 10 | 1 in 5,147 |
| Florida | #912 | 15 | 1 in 6,369 |
| Georgia | #990 | 8 | 1 in 6,278 |
| Michigan | #999 | 6 | 1 in 6,699 |
| New Jersey | #1,022 | 5 | 1 in 7,953 |
| Illinois | #1,023 | 7 | 1 in 7,079 |
| Virginia | #1,089 | 5 | 1 in 7,451 |
| Pennsylvania | #1,094 | 6 | 1 in 8,710 |
| New York | #1,119 | 10 | 1 in 8,442 |
| Texas | #1,760 | 9 | 1 in 19,450 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| 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 Kenji
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 33 spots since 2020 (#910 → #943)
- 463 spots since 2015 (#1,406 → #943)
- Biggest jump: 409 spots in 1978
- Biggest drop: 216 spots in 1979
Rise & fade · boys
65 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1913
- Peaked 1978 at #749 (128 births)
- Births halved by 1981, 3 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 8 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 8 yrs · run 2020–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 5,181
- Highest: 1 in 5,181 boys born in 2022 were named Kenji (0.02%)
- Latest: 1 in 6,860 boys born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #749 in 1978, was only 1 in 12,827 (0.01%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2020s
- 30.1% of all boys named Kenji (1,692) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 85 | #1,531 (1919) | #2,350 |
| 1920s | 213 | #1,333 (1922) | #1,724 |
| 1930s | 96 | #2,088 (1937) | #2,520 |
| 1940s | 23 | #2,633 (1944) | #2,756 |
| 1950s | 18 | #3,275 (1958) | #3,612 |
| 1960s | 104 | #1,962 (1968) | #2,760 |
| 1970s | 430 | #749 (1978) | #1,645 |
| 1980s | 359 | #1,079 (1980) | #1,836 |
| 1990s | 423 | #1,585 (1998) | #2,068 |
| 2000s | 889 | #1,148 (2009) | #1,652 |
| 2010s | 1,292 | #1,198 (2011) | #1,356 |
| 2020s | 1,692 | #754 (2022) | #856 |
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.
Want to check a specific year?
See where Kenji ranked and which names it was up against. Click a point on the chart, or pick a year: