Kenneth
Two Gaelic names merged in English: Coinneach “handsome” and Cinaed “born of fire.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Kenneth appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1898 to 2001. Its biggest year was 1957, when 28,064 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 14 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1939, at No. 13. In 2025 it ranked No. 294 for boys. All told, 1,289,312 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Kennith (10,565), Kennth (2,003), Kenith (1,630), Keneth (1,467) (total births since 1880)
Explore Kenneth interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 362 | No. 197 |
| 1890s | 1,298 | No. 87 |
| 1900s | 4,579 | No. 40 |
| 1910s | 43,248 | No. 26 |
| 1920s | 99,490 | No. 17 |
| 1930s | 125,111 | No. 13 |
| 1940s | 198,553 | No. 15 |
| 1950s | 262,819 | No. 14 |
| 1960s | 227,531 | No. 16 |
| 1970s | 111,489 | No. 25 |
| 1980s | 89,110 | No. 41 |
| 1990s | 58,254 | No. 52 |
| 2000s | 34,090 | No. 94 |
| 2010s | 20,213 | No. 160 |
| 2020s | 7,827 | No. 243 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.