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
- 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
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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 | |
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.
See more about Kenneth
- 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)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1939 at #13 (14,715 births)
- Births halved by 1992, 53 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 104 yrs · run 1898–2001
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- 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
- 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 1981
Top girls' names in 1981
Top boys' names in 1981
More about 1981
girls
1,668,060 girls got a published name in 1981; 1 in 19,624 of them was named Kenneth, which outranked 88.3% of the 12,198 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #1,423Shawnta86
- #1,423Tamesha86
- #1,423Yolonda86
- #1,433Kenneth85
- #1,433Ariane85
- #1,433Brea85
- #1,433Carisa85
- #1,445Addie84
- #1,445Alayna84
- #1,445Bailey84
Tied with 11 names at #1,433; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,791,177 boys got a published name in 1981; 1 in 189 of them was named Kenneth, which outranked 99.4% of the 7,289 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.