Nameling

Ken

Gender
Boy
Say it
KEN
Origin
Scottish
UK rank, 2025
#3,329 for boys
US rank, 2025
#3,239 for boys

Ken is a boys' name of Scottish origin, meaning “handsome; or born of fire”. In 2025 it ranked 3,329th for boys in the UK (6 babies) and 3,239th for boys in the US (36 babies).

What does Ken mean?

Scottish: short form of Kenneth; also a separate Japanese name

“handsome; or born of fire”

Also a separate Japanese name whose meaning, such as 'healthy' or 'wise', depends on the kanji used.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Ken a girl's or a boy's name?

Ken is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 6 boys in the UK and 36 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.

How popular is Ken in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#3,329among boys
Babies in 2025
6about 1 in 50,000 boys
Five-year trend
Risingup 50% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 6 boys in the UK were named Ken, making it the 3,329th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 4,025th. Its busiest year was 2005, with 14 boys.

Half of all the boys named Ken in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2013. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.

Among boys in 2025, it was 3,239th in England and Wales.

1996Busiest: 14 in 20052025
Ken in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
20256#3,329
20240–
20236#3,279
20225#3,639
20213#4,989
20204#4,025
20191#6,258
20183#4,959
20173#4,995
20160–
201513#1,888
20144#4,063
20134#4,008
20128#2,595
20116#3,038
20109#2,306
20096#2,970
20089#2,212
200710#1,987
20066#2,645
200514#1,445
20049#1,831
20039#1,723
200211#1,384
200111#1,369
20008#1,637
199911#1,267
19987#1,727
199710#1,319
19966#1,840

How popular is Ken in the US?

Rank in 2025
#3,239among boys
Babies in 2025
36about 1 in 47,000 boys
Five-year trend
Fallingdown 36% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 36 boys in the US were named Ken, making it the 3,239th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,365th. Its busiest year was 1960, with 1,775 boys. It first appears in the records in 1900.

Half of all the boys named Ken in the US since 1880 were born between 1953 and 1967, the years shaded on the chart below.

1900Busiest: 1,775 in 19602025
Ken in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
202536#3,239
202436#3,270
202337#3,226
202250#2,647
202152#2,522
202056#2,365
201951#2,555
201862#2,209
201763#2,153
201690#1,724
201587#1,753
201485#1,766
201375#1,877
2012107#1,498
201188#1,687
201068#2,009
2009104#1,561
2008108#1,504
2007120#1,376
2006135#1,239
2005117#1,301
2004153#1,052
2003110#1,281
2002134#1,093
2001124#1,127
2000123#1,126
1999119#1,112
1998104#1,186
1997125#1,014
1996119#1,028
1995126#984
1994112#1,049
1993104#1,093
1992113#1,026
1991127#935
1990142#853
1989138#853
1988111#906
1987126#828
1986102#900
1985113#845
1984116#811
1983105#856
1982134#760
1981145#717
1980141#739
1979119#794
1978137#717
1977124#762
1976137#715
1975156#659
1974202#564
1973232#513
1972287#464
1971363#424
1970486#368
1969494#356
1968601#305
1967650#284
1966820#252
19651,100#218
19641,475#192
19631,634#178
19621,684#181
19611,665#188
19601,775#177
19591,653#182
19581,533#185
19571,178#221
1956657#285
1955439#344
1954370#366
1953317#393
1952321#381
1951296#394
1950347#361
1949456#320
1948622#261
1947707#247
1946684#227
1945479#272
1944427#287
1943444#294
1942407#302
1941345#312
1940303#326
1939276#335
1938252#349
1937203#385
1936211#376
1935167#435
1934152#457
1933108#550
1932127#511
193195#605
193076#718
192957#878
192834#1,228
192748#1,012
192654#916
192539#1,121
192434#1,246
192330#1,322
192229#1,367
192123#1,588
192032#1,273
191919#1,751
191817#1,904
191721#1,586
191617#1,770
191520#1,552
191411#1,974
191310#1,802
191214#1,267
19116#1,536
19105#1,588
19090–
19080–
19070–
19060–
19050–
19040–
19030–
19020–
19010–
19007#1,049

Nicknames for Ken

Names like Ken

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Kerr Conn Kevin Keegan Keenan Bryn Keelan Kenan Regan Brayden Kayden Ryan

Names related to Ken

Keanu Kenny Keon Koen Keane Kenai Keano Keoni Keona

More Scottish names

Isla Finley Logan Arabella Cameron Bonnie Paisley Brody Carson Maxwell Brodie Finlay Blair Lennox Skye Knox

Every Scottish name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Ken: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/ken, updated 20 October 2026.