How Many People Are Named Kenneth?
Complete statistics for the name Kenneth: rarity score, gender breakdown, age distribution, historical popularity, worldwide data, meaning and origin.
Kenneth is a classic Scottish name meaning 'born of fire' or 'handsome,' and it's still carried by around 788,889 people living in the US today. That works out to 1 in 418 Americans, which makes it genuinely common even if it doesn't feel that way among younger crowds. The wild stat is that it spent 81 years in the US top 10, a run very few names can match.
📖 Meaning & Origin
Life path number 5 is traditionally linked to freedom, adaptability, and a restless curiosity about the world. People associated with 5 are thought to crave new experiences and tend to thrive when they're not tied down to routine.
🌍 Worldwide Usage
⚥ Gender Distribution
📊 Births by Age Group
Avg Cohort Age: 69All 1,288,115 recorded US births for this name, grouped by the age those individuals would be today. Not adjusted for survival, so the number living today is lower (see the living estimate above).
📈 Popularity Over Time
Peak: 1957Annual US births from SSA records · Trend: Declining
🏆 Name Scorecard
Scores 0–100 based on statistical analysis of US and worldwide name frequency
📜 Kenneth Through the Generations
Kenneth had one of the longer runs at the top of American baby naming charts, sitting inside the top 10 for 81 years. Its peak came in 1957 with 28,141 births in a single year, and the all-time US total sits at 1,288,115. But here's where the numbers get interesting: of the estimated 788,889 Kenneths alive today, a full 69 percent are over 60 years old. That's 890,397 people in that older bracket, compared to just 74,609 under the age of 30. The name didn't fade quickly, it just quietly aged in place as parents stopped choosing it for new babies. The trend is firmly declining now, and the average age of 69 tells that story clearly. Kenneth isn't rare, it's just becoming a generational marker, a name you're far more likely to hear at a retirement dinner than a kindergarten roll call.
📍 State Distribution (Top 10)
🌿 Related Names by Origin
Other names sharing Kenneth's Scottish Gaelic roots
📄 About the Name Kenneth
How Many People Have the Name Kenneth?
Based on Social Security Administration birth records and age-adjusted survival modeling, approximately 1,033 people in the United States currently share the name Kenneth. That works out to roughly 1 in every 320,861 Americans, placing it in the Very Rare category.
Is Kenneth a Common or Rare Name?
Kenneth is classified as Very Rare. The rarity scale runs from Very Common (shared by millions) through Common, Uncommon, Rare, and Very Rare. Understanding where a name sits helps parents gauge uniqueness, genealogists narrow down records, and individuals settle debates about their own name's distinctiveness.
What Does the Name Kenneth Mean?
Kenneth means "born of fire, handsome" and comes from Scottish Gaelic origins. The name carries a life-path numerology number of 5.
Gender Breakdown
Of all recorded bearers of Kenneth in SSA data, approximately 100% are male and 0% are female.
When Was Kenneth Most Popular?
The name Kenneth reached peak popularity in 1957, with 28,141 babies registered that year. Current trend: Declining.
How Is This Data Calculated?
All figures are statistical estimates, not exact government headcounts. The underlying data comes from the SSA National Baby Names dataset. Full methodology is explained on the methodology page.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How many people are named Kenneth?
Approximately 1,033 people named Kenneth live in the United States today. All-time US births on record total 1,033. That works out to roughly 1 in 320,861 Americans.
Is Kenneth a rare name?
Kenneth is classified as Very Rare in the United States. Approximately 1 in every 320,861 Americans has this name.
What does the name Kenneth mean?
Kenneth means "born of fire, handsome" and comes from Scottish Gaelic origins.
Is Kenneth more male or female?
Based on SSA records, 100% of people named Kenneth are male and 0% are female.
When was Kenneth most popular?
Kenneth peaked in 1957 with 28,141 births that year. Current trend: Declining.
How accurate are these statistics?
All figures are statistical estimates based on SSA birth records and age-adjusted modeling. See the methodology page for full details.