Boy nameCurrently #284 in the USFalling
Kenneth
KEN-uth//ˈkɛnəθ//
2 syllablesPeak year: 19577 lettersStarts with K
Meaning & origin
Handsome, born of fire
Kenneth comes from the Scottish Gaelic 'Coinneach' or 'Cináed', variously interpreted as 'handsome' or 'born of fire', and was borne by the first king of a unified Scotland, Kenneth MacAlpin. A steady mid-century classic, it retains a solid, dependable charm.
Kenneth's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Kenneth |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 32 |
| 1881 | 29 |
| 1882 | 22 |
| 1883 | 26 |
| 1884 | 29 |
| 1885 | 41 |
| 1886 | 38 |
| 1887 | 35 |
| 1888 | 45 |
| 1889 | 66 |
| 1890 | 72 |
| 1891 | 65 |
| 1892 | 102 |
| 1893 | 83 |
| 1894 | 105 |
| 1895 | 127 |
| 1896 | 175 |
| 1897 | 164 |
| 1898 | 191 |
| 1899 | 214 |
| 1900 | 279 |
| 1901 | 246 |
| 1902 | 275 |
| 1903 | 330 |
| 1904 | 420 |
| 1905 | 474 |
| 1906 | 534 |
| 1907 | 589 |
| 1908 | 692 |
| 1909 | 752 |
| 1910 | 880 |
| 1911 | 1,148 |
| 1912 | 2,549 |
| 1913 | 3,080 |
| 1914 | 4,199 |
| 1915 | 5,705 |
| 1916 | 6,042 |
| 1917 | 6,169 |
| 1918 | 6,852 |
| 1919 | 6,827 |
| 1920 | 7,876 |
| 1921 | 8,993 |
| 1922 | 9,300 |
| 1923 | 9,787 |
| 1924 | 10,401 |
| 1925 | 10,196 |
| 1926 | 10,413 |
| 1927 | 10,928 |
| 1928 | 11,244 |
| 1929 | 10,930 |
| 1930 | 11,790 |
| 1931 | 11,642 |
| 1932 | 11,801 |
| 1933 | 11,459 |
| 1934 | 11,849 |
| 1935 | 12,107 |
| 1936 | 12,520 |
| 1937 | 13,254 |
| 1938 | 14,450 |
| 1939 | 14,759 |
| 1940 | 15,185 |
| 1941 | 16,173 |
| 1942 | 18,270 |
| 1943 | 19,165 |
| 1944 | 18,142 |
| 1945 | 18,144 |
| 1946 | 22,093 |
| 1947 | 24,638 |
| 1948 | 23,613 |
| 1949 | 23,650 |
| 1950 | 23,856 |
| 1951 | 25,904 |
| 1952 | 25,973 |
| 1953 | 25,560 |
| 1954 | 26,245 |
| 1955 | 26,814 |
| 1956 | 27,505 |
| 1957 | 28,141 |
| 1958 | 26,789 |
| 1959 | 26,751 |
| 1960 | 27,784 |
| 1961 | 26,181 |
| 1962 | 25,359 |
| 1963 | 25,320 |
| 1964 | 24,984 |
| 1965 | 22,788 |
| 1966 | 20,938 |
| 1967 | 19,357 |
| 1968 | 18,172 |
| 1969 | 17,656 |
| 1970 | 16,909 |
| 1971 | 14,835 |
| 1972 | 12,411 |
| 1973 | 11,076 |
| 1974 | 10,209 |
| 1975 | 9,695 |
| 1976 | 9,203 |
| 1977 | 9,526 |
| 1978 | 9,087 |
| 1979 | 9,304 |
| 1980 | 9,691 |
| 1981 | 9,558 |
| 1982 | 9,423 |
| 1983 | 9,045 |
| 1984 | 8,877 |
| 1985 | 9,054 |
| 1986 | 8,543 |
| 1987 | 8,432 |
| 1988 | 8,636 |
| 1989 | 8,590 |
| 1990 | 8,301 |
| 1991 | 7,602 |
| 1992 | 6,755 |
| 1993 | 6,304 |
| 1994 | 5,695 |
| 1995 | 5,241 |
| 1996 | 4,984 |
| 1997 | 4,674 |
| 1998 | 4,595 |
| 1999 | 4,294 |
| 2000 | 4,158 |
| 2001 | 3,913 |
| 2002 | 3,665 |
| 2003 | 3,652 |
| 2004 | 3,442 |
| 2005 | 3,375 |
| 2006 | 3,252 |
| 2007 | 3,113 |
| 2008 | 2,973 |
| 2009 | 2,612 |
| 2010 | 2,432 |
| 2011 | 2,217 |
| 2012 | 2,224 |
| 2013 | 2,176 |
| 2014 | 2,153 |
| 2015 | 2,031 |
| 2016 | 1,924 |
| 2017 | 1,765 |
| 2018 | 1,671 |
| 2019 | 1,629 |
| 2020 | 1,482 |
| 2021 | 1,373 |
| 2022 | 1,310 |
| 2023 | 1,318 |
| 2024 | 1,186 |
Kenneth through the decades
- Kenneth peaked in 1957, when 28,141 babies were named Kenneth in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Kenneth has fallen 41% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Kenneth currently ranks #284 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
KenKenny
Variants & spellings
Kenneth