Kenji
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KEN-jee
- Origin
- Japanese
- UK rank, 2025
- #2,342 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #943 for boys
Kenji is a boys' name of Japanese origin, meaning “often healthy + second son”. In 2025 it ranked 2,342nd for boys in the UK (10 babies) and 943rd for boys in the US (249 babies).
What does Kenji mean?
Japanese: Japanese name; meaning depends on the kanji used
“often healthy + second son”
A Japanese name whose meaning depends on the kanji; one common spelling combines characters for healthy and second.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Kenji a girl's or a boy's name?
Kenji is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 10 boys in the UK and 249 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Kenji in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,342among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 10about 1 in 30,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 19% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 10 boys in the UK were named Kenji, making it the 2,342nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,829th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 17 boys.
Half of all the boys named Kenji in the UK since 1996 were born between 2012 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
Among boys in 2025, it was 2,265th in England and Wales.
Kenji in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | #2,342 |
| 2024 | 9 | #2,515 |
| 2023 | 12 | #2,024 |
| 2022 | 17 | #1,561 |
| 2021 | 10 | #2,257 |
| 2020 | 13 | #1,829 |
| 2019 | 8 | #2,633 |
| 2018 | 5 | #3,596 |
| 2017 | 4 | #4,161 |
| 2016 | 10 | #2,287 |
| 2015 | 6 | #3,149 |
| 2014 | 6 | #3,125 |
| 2013 | 9 | #2,334 |
| 2012 | 9 | #2,382 |
| 2011 | 5 | #3,446 |
| 2010 | 12 | #1,887 |
| 2009 | 3 | #4,691 |
| 2008 | 3 | #4,615 |
| 2007 | 0 | – |
| 2006 | 0 | – |
| 2005 | 4 | #3,330 |
| 2004 | 0 | – |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 0 | – |
| 2001 | 3 | #3,255 |
| 2000 | 3 | #3,146 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 3 | #2,979 |
How popular is Kenji in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #943among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 249about 1 in 6,900 boys
- Five-year trend
- Risingup 53% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 249 boys in the US were named Kenji, making it the 943rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 910th. Its busiest year was 2022, with 337 boys. It first appears in the records in 1913.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Kenji than any year since 2020.
Half of all the boys named Kenji in the US since 1880 were born between 1992 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.
Kenji in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 249 | #943 |
| 2024 | 284 | #854 |
| 2023 | 296 | #827 |
| 2022 | 337 | #754 |
| 2021 | 281 | #845 |
| 2020 | 245 | #910 |
| 2019 | 156 | #1,218 |
| 2018 | 141 | #1,294 |
| 2017 | 137 | #1,314 |
| 2016 | 125 | #1,399 |
| 2015 | 122 | #1,406 |
| 2014 | 96 | #1,619 |
| 2013 | 125 | #1,352 |
| 2012 | 124 | #1,359 |
| 2011 | 147 | #1,198 |
| 2010 | 119 | #1,399 |
| 2009 | 159 | #1,148 |
| 2008 | 145 | #1,211 |
| 2007 | 108 | #1,477 |
| 2006 | 99 | #1,519 |
| 2005 | 75 | #1,749 |
| 2004 | 60 | #1,985 |
| 2003 | 60 | #1,932 |
| 2002 | 59 | #1,884 |
| 2001 | 72 | #1,625 |
| 2000 | 52 | #1,964 |
| 1999 | 56 | #1,775 |
| 1998 | 66 | #1,582 |
| 1997 | 44 | #2,021 |
| 1996 | 43 | #2,013 |
| 1995 | 55 | #1,643 |
| 1994 | 27 | #2,680 |
| 1993 | 30 | #2,449 |
| 1992 | 39 | #1,997 |
| 1991 | 32 | #2,221 |
| 1990 | 31 | #2,250 |
| 1989 | 27 | #2,410 |
| 1988 | 28 | #2,192 |
| 1987 | 22 | #2,464 |
| 1986 | 34 | #1,789 |
| 1985 | 30 | #1,915 |
| 1984 | 35 | #1,655 |
| 1983 | 28 | #1,904 |
| 1982 | 45 | #1,414 |
| 1981 | 40 | #1,519 |
| 1980 | 70 | #1,079 |
| 1979 | 84 | #965 |
| 1978 | 128 | #749 |
| 1977 | 57 | #1,158 |
| 1976 | 26 | #1,872 |
| 1975 | 26 | #1,834 |
| 1974 | 25 | #1,832 |
| 1973 | 28 | #1,653 |
| 1972 | 21 | #1,966 |
| 1971 | 19 | #2,125 |
| 1970 | 16 | #2,292 |
| 1969 | 17 | #2,045 |
| 1968 | 17 | #1,961 |
| 1967 | 13 | #2,241 |
| 1966 | 11 | #2,464 |
| 1965 | 9 | #2,778 |
| 1964 | 8 | #3,049 |
| 1963 | 7 | #3,317 |
| 1962 | 7 | #3,303 |
| 1961 | 7 | #3,354 |
| 1960 | 8 | #3,075 |
| 1959 | 6 | #3,618 |
| 1958 | 7 | #3,273 |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 5 | #3,940 |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 8 | #2,632 |
| 1943 | 7 | #2,962 |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 8 | #2,671 |
| 1939 | 11 | #2,159 |
| 1938 | 9 | #2,479 |
| 1937 | 12 | #2,088 |
| 1936 | 6 | #3,146 |
| 1935 | 10 | #2,396 |
| 1934 | 9 | #2,563 |
| 1933 | 12 | #2,093 |
| 1932 | 6 | #3,360 |
| 1931 | 10 | #2,470 |
| 1930 | 11 | #2,443 |
| 1929 | 19 | #1,731 |
| 1928 | 17 | #1,902 |
| 1927 | 16 | #2,034 |
| 1926 | 16 | #1,981 |
| 1925 | 29 | #1,360 |
| 1924 | 20 | #1,776 |
| 1923 | 24 | #1,551 |
| 1922 | 30 | #1,333 |
| 1921 | 15 | #2,151 |
| 1920 | 27 | #1,416 |
| 1919 | 23 | #1,530 |
| 1918 | 17 | #1,904 |
| 1917 | 15 | #1,985 |
| 1916 | 10 | #2,542 |
| 1915 | 6 | #3,391 |
| 1914 | 9 | #2,270 |
| 1913 | 5 | #2,820 |
Names like Kenji
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Ali Eli Levi Noah Hudson Grayson Enzo Caleb Asher Hunter Theo Roman
More Japanese names
Kobe Kaizen Raiden Ren Akari Kenzo Ronin Kyomi Akira Yuna Emi Kiyomi Kairi Miya Reo Jiraiya
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, “Kenji: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kenji, updated 20 October 2026.