Boy nameCurrently #342 in the USFalling
King
KING//kɪŋ//
1 syllablePeak year: 20174 lettersStarts with K
Meaning & origin
King, ruler
King comes directly from the English word for a monarch, historically used as a nickname or surname before becoming an occasional given name. Its bold, unapologetic meaning has made it a distinctive modern choice.
King's popularity over time
| Year | Births named King |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 27 |
| 1881 | 20 |
| 1882 | 26 |
| 1883 | 22 |
| 1884 | 25 |
| 1885 | 25 |
| 1886 | 23 |
| 1887 | 13 |
| 1888 | 27 |
| 1889 | 21 |
| 1890 | 21 |
| 1891 | 13 |
| 1892 | 26 |
| 1893 | 23 |
| 1894 | 20 |
| 1895 | 24 |
| 1896 | 24 |
| 1897 | 32 |
| 1898 | 27 |
| 1899 | 23 |
| 1900 | 33 |
| 1901 | 15 |
| 1902 | 29 |
| 1903 | 19 |
| 1904 | 24 |
| 1905 | 24 |
| 1906 | 28 |
| 1907 | 37 |
| 1908 | 37 |
| 1909 | 31 |
| 1910 | 47 |
| 1911 | 32 |
| 1912 | 72 |
| 1913 | 58 |
| 1914 | 74 |
| 1915 | 111 |
| 1916 | 102 |
| 1917 | 90 |
| 1918 | 89 |
| 1919 | 120 |
| 1920 | 108 |
| 1921 | 99 |
| 1922 | 114 |
| 1923 | 100 |
| 1924 | 109 |
| 1925 | 95 |
| 1926 | 113 |
| 1927 | 85 |
| 1928 | 81 |
| 1929 | 99 |
| 1930 | 90 |
| 1931 | 73 |
| 1932 | 67 |
| 1933 | 79 |
| 1934 | 91 |
| 1935 | 67 |
| 1936 | 71 |
| 1937 | 85 |
| 1938 | 91 |
| 1939 | 87 |
| 1940 | 75 |
| 1941 | 70 |
| 1942 | 105 |
| 1943 | 86 |
| 1944 | 82 |
| 1945 | 80 |
| 1946 | 78 |
| 1947 | 79 |
| 1948 | 84 |
| 1949 | 79 |
| 1950 | 90 |
| 1951 | 81 |
| 1952 | 93 |
| 1953 | 63 |
| 1954 | 77 |
| 1955 | 68 |
| 1956 | 59 |
| 1957 | 64 |
| 1958 | 53 |
| 1959 | 60 |
| 1960 | 52 |
| 1961 | 35 |
| 1962 | 59 |
| 1963 | 42 |
| 1964 | 82 |
| 1965 | 45 |
| 1966 | 37 |
| 1967 | 37 |
| 1968 | 42 |
| 1969 | 27 |
| 1970 | 31 |
| 1971 | 34 |
| 1972 | 41 |
| 1973 | 24 |
| 1974 | 25 |
| 1975 | 30 |
| 1976 | 26 |
| 1977 | 28 |
| 1978 | 36 |
| 1979 | 41 |
| 1980 | 28 |
| 1981 | 40 |
| 1982 | 53 |
| 1983 | 32 |
| 1984 | 31 |
| 1985 | 41 |
| 1986 | 31 |
| 1987 | 21 |
| 1988 | 30 |
| 1989 | 28 |
| 1990 | 47 |
| 1991 | 39 |
| 1992 | 40 |
| 1993 | 42 |
| 1994 | 50 |
| 1995 | 40 |
| 1996 | 38 |
| 1997 | 45 |
| 1998 | 52 |
| 1999 | 46 |
| 2000 | 74 |
| 2001 | 63 |
| 2002 | 57 |
| 2003 | 70 |
| 2004 | 77 |
| 2005 | 149 |
| 2006 | 219 |
| 2007 | 321 |
| 2008 | 329 |
| 2009 | 591 |
| 2010 | 706 |
| 2011 | 730 |
| 2012 | 1,434 |
| 2013 | 2,109 |
| 2014 | 2,438 |
| 2015 | 2,567 |
| 2016 | 2,676 |
| 2017 | 2,703 |
| 2018 | 2,618 |
| 2019 | 2,476 |
| 2020 | 2,264 |
| 2021 | 2,059 |
| 2022 | 1,653 |
| 2023 | 1,284 |
| 2024 | 1,001 |
King through the decades
- King peaked in 2017, when 2,703 babies were named King in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of King has risen 136% compared to the 10 years before that.
- King currently ranks #342 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
King
Variants & spellings
Kingston