Kenneth
Last seen for girls in 2019 at #12,448 · #294 for boys in 2025, 1,148 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time
Showing
- Peak · boys
- 1939 · 14,715 births
- Debut · boys
- 32 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 104 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 1,283,974since 1880
Kenneth over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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 | — | #294 | 1,148 | |
| 2024 | — | #284 | 1,190 | |
| 2023 | — | #262 | 1,321 | |
| 2022 | — | #263 | 1,312 | |
| 2021 | — | #258 | 1,373 | |
| 2020 | — | #243 | 1,483 | |
| 2019 | #12,448 | 7 | #233 | 1,623 |
| 2018 | — | #225 | 1,671 | |
| 2017 | — | #217 | 1,766 | |
| 2016 | #16,215 | 5 | #208 | 1,921 |
| 2015 | — | #198 | 2,033 | |
| 2014 | — | #191 | 2,153 | |
| 2013 | — | #187 | 2,177 | |
| 2012 | — | #175 | 2,224 | |
| 2011 | — | #170 | 2,217 | |
| 2010 | #16,992 | 5 | #160 | 2,428 |
| 2009 | — | #151 | 2,612 | |
| 2008 | #15,405 | 6 | #137 | 2,967 |
| 2007 | #17,636 | 5 | #135 | 3,108 |
| 2006 | #11,417 | 9 | #129 | 3,243 |
| 2005 | #13,010 | 7 | #122 | 3,368 |
| 2004 | #6,768 | 17 | #119 | 3,425 |
| 2003 | #10,425 | 9 | #111 | 3,643 |
| 2002 | — | #104 | 3,665 | |
| 2001 | #13,521 | 6 | #97 | 3,907 |
| 2000 | #13,154 | 6 | #94 | 4,152 |
| 1999 | #9,479 | 9 | #89 | 4,285 |
| 1998 | #9,260 | 9 | #87 | 4,586 |
| 1997 | #6,163 | 15 | #83 | 4,659 |
| 1996 | #7,574 | 11 | #77 | 4,973 |
| 1995 | #5,958 | 15 | #72 | 5,226 |
| 1994 | #5,713 | 16 | #65 | 5,679 |
| 1993 | #3,877 | 27 | #60 | 6,276 |
| 1992 | #4,528 | 22 | #59 | 6,732 |
| 1991 | #3,936 | 26 | #54 | 7,576 |
| 1990 | #2,900 | 39 | #52 | 8,262 |
| 1989 | #3,045 | 35 | #53 | 8,555 |
| 1988 | #1,802 | 69 | #51 | 8,567 |
| 1987 | #1,591 | 78 | #53 | 8,354 |
| 1986 | #1,420 | 90 | #50 | 8,453 |
| 1985 | #1,856 | 60 | #47 | 8,992 |
| 1984 | #1,368 | 86 | #46 | 8,790 |
| 1983 | #1,447 | 80 | #45 | 8,965 |
| 1982 | #1,684 | 67 | #45 | 9,354 |
| 1981 | #1,433 | 85 | #41 | 9,472 |
| 1980 | #1,482 | 81 | #41 | 9,608 |
| 1979 | #1,661 | 67 | #41 | 9,236 |
| 1978 | #1,614 | 66 | #41 | 9,021 |
| 1977 | #1,498 | 73 | #39 | 9,452 |
| 1976 | #1,406 | 75 | #38 | 9,127 |
| 1975 | #1,586 | 62 | #35 | 9,634 |
| 1974 | #1,532 | 63 | #34 | 10,143 |
| 1973 | #1,151 | 95 | #28 | 10,979 |
| 1972 | #1,303 | 78 | #27 | 12,334 |
| 1971 | #1,427 | 73 | #25 | 14,763 |
| 1970 | #1,108 | 106 | #25 | 16,800 |
| 1969 | #1,066 | 106 | #23 | 17,553 |
| 1968 | #1,099 | 94 | #23 | 18,077 |
| 1967 | #1,046 | 97 | #22 | 19,263 |
| 1966 | #1,011 | 104 | #21 | 20,834 |
| 1965 | #982 | 111 | #21 | 22,677 |
| 1964 | #932 | 127 | #18 | 24,850 |
| 1963 | #1,126 | 94 | #18 | 25,235 |
| 1962 | #978 | 119 | #18 | 25,241 |
| 1961 | #1,232 | 80 | #16 | 26,100 |
| 1960 | #1,126 | 93 | #16 | 27,701 |
| 1959 | #1,005 | 110 | #15 | 26,640 |
| 1958 | #1,028 | 103 | #14 | 26,684 |
| 1957 | #1,173 | 81 | #14 | 28,064 |
| 1956 | #1,228 | 72 | #16 | 27,432 |
| 1955 | #1,197 | 70 | #15 | 26,743 |
| 1954 | #1,278 | 60 | #17 | 26,186 |
| 1953 | #1,332 | 53 | #17 | 25,507 |
| 1952 | #1,195 | 63 | #16 | 25,909 |
| 1951 | #1,190 | 61 | #16 | 25,841 |
| 1950 | #1,396 | 43 | #15 | 23,813 |
| 1949 | #1,154 | 62 | #15 | 23,589 |
| 1948 | #1,157 | 60 | #15 | 23,550 |
| 1947 | #1,228 | 54 | #15 | 24,586 |
| 1946 | #1,165 | 54 | #15 | 22,042 |
| 1945 | #1,155 | 46 | #16 | 18,096 |
| 1944 | #1,115 | 49 | #16 | 18,093 |
| 1943 | #1,103 | 53 | #15 | 19,112 |
| 1942 | #1,006 | 60 | #15 | 18,210 |
| 1941 | #1,418 | 30 | #15 | 16,143 |
| 1940 | #971 | 54 | #15 | 15,132 |
| 1939 | #1,079 | 44 | #13 | 14,715 |
| 1938 | #992 | 51 | #14 | 14,399 |
| 1937 | #1,196 | 36 | #14 | 13,219 |
| 1936 | #1,230 | 34 | #14 | 12,486 |
| 1935 | #1,084 | 41 | #15 | 12,067 |
| 1934 | #993 | 48 | #15 | 11,800 |
| 1933 | #985 | 49 | #15 | 11,410 |
| 1932 | #913 | 59 | #14 | 11,742 |
| 1931 | #784 | 74 | #14 | 11,568 |
| 1930 | #755 | 86 | #17 | 11,705 |
| 1929 | #742 | 89 | #18 | 10,841 |
| 1928 | #821 | 77 | #17 | 11,167 |
| 1927 | #817 | 80 | #18 | 10,848 |
| 1926 | #879 | 71 | #18 | 10,342 |
| 1925 | #1,074 | 50 | #19 | 10,146 |
| 1924 | #1,151 | 46 | #19 | 10,355 |
| 1923 | #1,037 | 53 | #21 | 9,734 |
| 1922 | #1,190 | 42 | #21 | 9,258 |
| 1921 | #1,374 | 34 | #22 | 8,959 |
| 1920 | #1,282 | 36 | #23 | 7,840 |
| 1919 | #1,393 | 31 | #26 | 6,796 |
| 1918 | #1,126 | 43 | #27 | 6,809 |
| 1917 | #1,402 | 28 | #27 | 6,141 |
| 1916 | #1,332 | 30 | #27 | 6,012 |
| 1915 | #1,475 | 24 | #28 | 5,681 |
| 1914 | #1,385 | 21 | #30 | 4,178 |
| 1913 | #1,528 | 15 | #33 | 3,065 |
| 1912 | #1,719 | 11 | #33 | 2,538 |
| 1911 | — | #40 | 1,148 | |
| 1910 | — | #43 | 880 | |
| 1909 | #1,957 | 6 | #41 | 746 |
| 1908 | — | #40 | 692 | |
| 1907 | — | #47 | 589 | |
| 1906 | — | #45 | 534 | |
| 1905 | — | #52 | 474 | |
| 1904 | #1,659 | 6 | #57 | 414 |
| 1903 | — | #67 | 330 | |
| 1902 | — | #78 | 275 | |
| 1901 | — | #78 | 246 | |
| 1900 | — | #90 | 279 | |
| 1899 | — | #87 | 214 | |
| 1898 | — | #100 | 191 | |
| 1897 | — | #105 | 164 | |
| 1896 | — | #106 | 175 | |
| 1895 | — | #131 | 127 | |
| 1894 | — | #144 | 105 | |
| 1893 | — | #172 | 83 | |
| 1892 | — | #157 | 102 | |
| 1891 | — | #191 | 65 | |
| 1890 | — | #186 | 72 | |
| 1889 | — | #197 | 66 | |
| 1888 | — | #262 | 45 | |
| 1887 | — | #272 | 35 | |
| 1886 | — | #275 | 38 | |
| 1885 | — | #258 | 41 | |
| 1884 | — | #331 | 28 | |
| 1883 | — | #324 | 26 | |
| 1882 | — | #377 | 22 | |
| 1881 | — | #296 | 29 | |
| 1880 | — | #291 | 32 | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, Kenneth was already there! It came in at #291, and was given to 32 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1884, when fewer than 33 boys a year got the name.
Where Kenneth is popular in 1917
- 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
- South Dakota#9 · 1 in 60
- Kansas#10 · 1 in 69
- Iowa#12 · 1 in 65
- Minnesota#12 · 1 in 65
- Oregon#13 · 1 in 63
Best ever in a state: #6 in Utah, 1910.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | #9 | 89 | 1 in 60 |
| Kansas | #10 | 199 | 1 in 69 |
| Iowa | #12 | 284 | 1 in 65 |
| Minnesota | #12 | 289 | 1 in 65 |
| Nebraska | #13 | 150 | 1 in 72 |
| North Dakota | #13 | 104 | 1 in 64 |
| Oregon | #13 | 72 | 1 in 63 |
| Maine | #14 | 82 | 1 in 64 |
| Indiana | #15 | 291 | 1 in 73 |
| Vermont | #16 | 39 | 1 in 51 |
| Washington | #16 | 100 | 1 in 76 |
| Montana | #17 | 69 | 1 in 78 |
| Wisconsin | #17 | 255 | 1 in 82 |
| Idaho | #18 | 42 | 1 in 82 |
| Wyoming | #18 | 17 | 1 in 71 |
| Michigan | #19 | 314 | 1 in 93 |
| Utah | #20 | 44 | 1 in 92 |
| Missouri | #22 | 253 | 1 in 97 |
| Colorado | #23 | 72 | 1 in 93 |
| Illinois | #23 | 467 | 1 in 107 |
| Hawaii | #24 | 24 | 1 in 87 |
| West Virginia | #24 | 109 | 1 in 110 |
| New Hampshire | #25 | 36 | 1 in 76 |
| Ohio | #25 | 376 | 1 in 116 |
| California | #27 | 153 | 1 in 125 |
| Oklahoma | #27 | 134 | 1 in 124 |
| Pennsylvania | #33 | 493 | 1 in 157 |
| Massachusetts | #40 | 177 | 1 in 172 |
| New York | #41 | 538 | 1 in 158 |
| Connecticut | #42 | 71 | 1 in 178 |
| District of Columbia | #42 | 12 | 1 in 181 |
| Kentucky | #43 | 109 | 1 in 183 |
| Arizona | #45 | 15 | 1 in 180 |
| New Jersey | #46 | 119 | 1 in 219 |
| Tennessee | #48 | 80 | 1 in 248 |
| Maryland | #50 | 47 | 1 in 226 |
| Rhode Island | #50 | 20 | 1 in 220 |
| Virginia | #60 | 66 | 1 in 299 |
| Arkansas | #62 | 54 | 1 in 275 |
| New Mexico | #70 | 10 | 1 in 302 |
| Florida | #75 | 20 | 1 in 391 |
| Texas | #90 | 94 | 1 in 422 |
| North Carolina | #99 | 49 | 1 in 540 |
| Mississippi | #148 | 21 | 1 in 762 |
| South Carolina | #153 | 18 | 1 in 939 |
| Georgia | #162 | 24 | 1 in 1,091 |
| Alabama | #168 | 18 | 1 in 1,124 |
| Louisiana | #204 | 14 | 1 in 1,081 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
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 Kenneth
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
- 10 spots since 2024 (#284 → #294)
- 51 spots since 2020 (#243 → #294)
- 96 spots since 2015 (#198 → #294)
- Biggest jump: 73 spots in 1885 (#331 → #258)
- Biggest drop: 81 spots in 1882 (#296 → #377)
Rise & fade · boys
59 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1939 at #13 (14,715 births)
- Births halved by 1992, 53 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 104 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 104 yrs · run 1898–2001
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 73
- Highest: 1 in 73 boys born in 1951 were named Kenneth (1.4%)
- Latest: 1 in 1,488 boys born in 2025 (0.07%)
- Its best rank, #13 in 1939, was only 1 in 75 (1.3%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1950s
- 20.5% of all boys named Kenneth (262,819) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 362 | #197 (1889) | #288 |
| 1890s | 1,298 | #87 (1899) | #138 |
| 1900s | 4,579 | #40 (1908) | #60 |
| 1910s | 43,248 | #26 (1919) | #31 |
| 1920s | 99,490 | #17 (1928) | #20 |
| 1930s | 125,111 | #13 (1939) | #15 |
| 1940s | 198,553 | #15 (1947) | #15 |
| 1950s | 262,819 | #14 (1957) | #16 |
| 1960s | 227,531 | #16 (1960) | #20 |
| 1970s | 111,489 | #25 (1970) | #33 |
| 1980s | 89,110 | #41 (1980) | #47 |
| 1990s | 58,254 | #52 (1990) | #70 |
| 2000s | 34,090 | #94 (2000) | #120 |
| 2010s | 20,213 | #160 (2010) | #196 |
| 2020s | 7,827 | #243 (2020) | #267 |
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.
Kenneth in 1917
girls
#1,402
28 births · 1 in 38,617 girls
boys
#27
6,141 births · 1 in 151 boys
Top girls' names in 1917
Top boys' names in 1917
More about 1917
girls
1,081,267 girls got a published name in 1917; 1 in 38,617 of them was named Kenneth, which outranked 73.6% of the 5,310 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Kenneth
- #1,377Tilda29
- #1,377Toni29
- #1,377Venus29
- #1,402Kenneth28
- #1,402Arbutus28
- #1,402Archie28
- #1,402Berdie28
- #1,431Alverda27
- #1,431Alyne27
- #1,431Arlyne27
Tied with 28 names at #1,402; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
925,482 boys got a published name in 1917; 1 in 151 of them was named Kenneth, which outranked 99.4% of the 4,602 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Kenneth
Biggest movers since 1916
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.