Kenneth
An anglicization of two Scottish Gaelic names: Cinaed, read as born of fire, and Coinneach, meaning comely. The first Scottish king of that name ruled in the ninth century.
Kenneth in 2025
Kenneth was given to 1,148 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 580th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 2,888 babies born.
The history of Kenneth
Kenneth reached its highest point in 1957, when 28,145 babies were given the name, ranking 23rd that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 1,289,312 babies have been named Kenneth. Half of them were born before 1956, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Kenneth by decade
| Decade | Babies named Kenneth | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 362 | 499 |
| 1890s | 1,298 | 277 |
| 1900s | 4,591 | 143 |
| 1910s | 43,451 | 63 |
| 1920s | 100,068 | 32 |
| 1930s | 125,633 | 23 |
| 1940s | 199,075 | 24 |
| 1950s | 263,535 | 23 |
| 1960s | 228,556 | 23 |
| 1970s | 112,247 | 37 |
| 1980s | 89,841 | 70 |
| 1990s | 58,443 | 93 |
| 2000s | 34,155 | 168 |
| 2010s | 20,230 | 294 |
| 2020s | 7,827 | 452 |
Where Kenneth is heading
Kenneth has fallen 44% over the past decade, from 2,033 babies in 2015 to 1,148 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1957 peak — Kenneth is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Kenneth
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Kenneth.