Kenneth
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KEN-ith
- Origin
- Scottish
- UK rank, 2025
- #936 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #294 for boys
- Style
- Timeless
Kenneth is a boys' name of Scottish origin, meaning “handsome; or born of fire”. In 2025 it ranked 936th for boys in the UK (36 babies) and 294th for boys in the US (1,148 babies).
What does Kenneth mean?
Scottish: anglicised form of Gaelic Coinneach and Cináed
“handsome; or born of fire”
Kenneth MacAlpin (Cináed mac Ailpín), who died in 858, is traditionally regarded as the first King of Scots.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Kenneth a girl's or a boy's name?
Kenneth is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 36 boys in the UK and 1,148 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Kenneth in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- 936th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 36 about 1 in 8,300 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady up 21% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 36 boys in the UK were named Kenneth, making it the 936th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,150th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 116 boys.
Half of all the boys named Kenneth in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 1,007th in England and Wales and 495th in Scotland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#52), 1914 (#33), 1924 (#7), 1934 (#9), 1944 (#12), 1954 (#25), 1964 (#41) and 1974 (#94).
Kenneth in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36 | #936 |
| 2024 | 37 | #923 |
| 2023 | 29 | #1,098 |
| 2022 | 25 | #1,181 |
| 2021 | 31 | #1,041 |
| 2020 | 26 | #1,150 |
| 2019 | 34 | #951 |
| 2018 | 24 | #1,210 |
| 2017 | 36 | #936 |
| 2016 | 52 | #728 |
| 2015 | 44 | #794 |
| 2014 | 41 | #830 |
| 2013 | 39 | #860 |
| 2012 | 36 | #922 |
| 2011 | 47 | #745 |
| 2010 | 47 | #727 |
| 2009 | 46 | #725 |
| 2008 | 53 | #657 |
| 2007 | 47 | #676 |
| 2006 | 48 | #652 |
| 2005 | 71 | #451 |
| 2004 | 57 | #504 |
| 2003 | 52 | #516 |
| 2002 | 68 | #390 |
| 2001 | 69 | #392 |
| 2000 | 67 | #391 |
| 1999 | 87 | #335 |
| 1998 | 103 | #290 |
| 1997 | 116 | #272 |
| 1996 | 106 | #288 |
How popular is Kenneth in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 294th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,148 about 1 in 1,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 23% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,148 boys in the US were named Kenneth, making it the 294th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 243rd. Its busiest year was 1957, with 28,064 boys.
2025 had fewer boys named Kenneth than any year since 1911.
Half of all the boys named Kenneth in the US since 1880 were born between 1942 and 1969, the years shaded on the chart below.
Kenneth in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,148 | #294 |
| 2024 | 1,190 | #284 |
| 2023 | 1,321 | #262 |
| 2022 | 1,312 | #263 |
| 2021 | 1,373 | #258 |
| 2020 | 1,483 | #243 |
| 2019 | 1,623 | #233 |
| 2018 | 1,671 | #225 |
| 2017 | 1,766 | #217 |
| 2016 | 1,921 | #208 |
| 2015 | 2,033 | #198 |
| 2014 | 2,153 | #191 |
| 2013 | 2,177 | #187 |
| 2012 | 2,224 | #175 |
| 2011 | 2,217 | #170 |
| 2010 | 2,428 | #160 |
| 2009 | 2,612 | #151 |
| 2008 | 2,967 | #137 |
| 2007 | 3,108 | #135 |
| 2006 | 3,243 | #129 |
| 2005 | 3,368 | #122 |
| 2004 | 3,425 | #119 |
| 2003 | 3,643 | #111 |
| 2002 | 3,665 | #104 |
| 2001 | 3,907 | #97 |
| 2000 | 4,152 | #94 |
| 1999 | 4,285 | #89 |
| 1998 | 4,586 | #87 |
| 1997 | 4,659 | #83 |
| 1996 | 4,973 | #77 |
| 1995 | 5,226 | #72 |
| 1994 | 5,679 | #65 |
| 1993 | 6,276 | #60 |
| 1992 | 6,732 | #59 |
| 1991 | 7,576 | #54 |
| 1990 | 8,262 | #52 |
| 1989 | 8,555 | #53 |
| 1988 | 8,567 | #51 |
| 1987 | 8,354 | #53 |
| 1986 | 8,453 | #50 |
| 1985 | 8,992 | #47 |
| 1984 | 8,790 | #46 |
| 1983 | 8,965 | #45 |
| 1982 | 9,354 | #45 |
| 1981 | 9,472 | #41 |
| 1980 | 9,608 | #41 |
| 1979 | 9,236 | #41 |
| 1978 | 9,021 | #41 |
| 1977 | 9,452 | #39 |
| 1976 | 9,127 | #38 |
| 1975 | 9,634 | #35 |
| 1974 | 10,143 | #34 |
| 1973 | 10,979 | #28 |
| 1972 | 12,334 | #27 |
| 1971 | 14,763 | #25 |
| 1970 | 16,800 | #25 |
| 1969 | 17,553 | #23 |
| 1968 | 18,077 | #23 |
| 1967 | 19,263 | #22 |
| 1966 | 20,834 | #21 |
| 1965 | 22,677 | #21 |
| 1964 | 24,850 | #18 |
| 1963 | 25,235 | #18 |
| 1962 | 25,241 | #18 |
| 1961 | 26,100 | #16 |
| 1960 | 27,701 | #16 |
| 1959 | 26,640 | #15 |
| 1958 | 26,684 | #14 |
| 1957 | 28,064 | #14 |
| 1956 | 27,432 | #16 |
| 1955 | 26,743 | #15 |
| 1954 | 26,186 | #17 |
| 1953 | 25,507 | #17 |
| 1952 | 25,909 | #16 |
| 1951 | 25,841 | #16 |
| 1950 | 23,813 | #15 |
| 1949 | 23,589 | #15 |
| 1948 | 23,550 | #15 |
| 1947 | 24,586 | #15 |
| 1946 | 22,042 | #15 |
| 1945 | 18,096 | #16 |
| 1944 | 18,093 | #16 |
| 1943 | 19,112 | #15 |
| 1942 | 18,210 | #15 |
| 1941 | 16,143 | #15 |
| 1940 | 15,132 | #15 |
| 1939 | 14,715 | #13 |
| 1938 | 14,399 | #14 |
| 1937 | 13,219 | #14 |
| 1936 | 12,486 | #14 |
| 1935 | 12,067 | #15 |
| 1934 | 11,800 | #15 |
| 1933 | 11,410 | #15 |
| 1932 | 11,742 | #14 |
| 1931 | 11,568 | #14 |
| 1930 | 11,705 | #17 |
| 1929 | 10,841 | #18 |
| 1928 | 11,167 | #17 |
| 1927 | 10,848 | #18 |
| 1926 | 10,342 | #18 |
| 1925 | 10,146 | #19 |
| 1924 | 10,355 | #19 |
| 1923 | 9,734 | #21 |
| 1922 | 9,258 | #21 |
| 1921 | 8,959 | #22 |
| 1920 | 7,840 | #23 |
| 1919 | 6,796 | #26 |
| 1918 | 6,809 | #27 |
| 1917 | 6,141 | #27 |
| 1916 | 6,012 | #27 |
| 1915 | 5,681 | #28 |
| 1914 | 4,178 | #30 |
| 1913 | 3,065 | #33 |
| 1912 | 2,538 | #33 |
| 1911 | 1,148 | #40 |
| 1910 | 880 | #43 |
| 1909 | 746 | #41 |
| 1908 | 692 | #40 |
| 1907 | 589 | #47 |
| 1906 | 534 | #45 |
| 1905 | 474 | #52 |
| 1904 | 414 | #57 |
| 1903 | 330 | #67 |
| 1902 | 275 | #78 |
| 1901 | 246 | #78 |
| 1900 | 279 | #90 |
| 1899 | 214 | #87 |
| 1898 | 191 | #100 |
| 1897 | 164 | #105 |
| 1896 | 175 | #106 |
| 1895 | 127 | #131 |
| 1894 | 105 | #144 |
| 1893 | 83 | #172 |
| 1892 | 102 | #157 |
| 1891 | 65 | #191 |
| 1890 | 72 | #186 |
| 1889 | 66 | #197 |
| 1888 | 45 | #262 |
| 1887 | 35 | #272 |
| 1886 | 38 | #275 |
| 1885 | 41 | #258 |
| 1884 | 28 | #331 |
| 1883 | 26 | #324 |
| 1882 | 22 | #377 |
| 1881 | 29 | #296 |
| 1880 | 32 | #291 |
Nicknames for Kenneth
Names like Kenneth
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Douglas, Kevin, David, Keegan, Michael, Brian, Patrick, Joseph, Robert, Thomas, Kenan, Billy
Other spellings of Kenneth
Names related to Kenneth
More Scottish names
Isla, Finley, Logan, Arabella, Cameron, Bonnie, Paisley, Brody, Carson, Maxwell, Brodie, Finlay, Blair, Lennox, Skye, Knox
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, “Kenneth: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kenneth, updated 20 October 2026.