NameTides

Ken

Ken was the #3,240 boys' name in the US in 2025 (36 babies), and #3,256 in England & Wales and #2,095 in Canada.

Ken as a boy’s name

  • US
  • England & Wales
  • Scotland
  • Ireland
  • Canada
Ken as a boy’s name, US, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, CanadaBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.00.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020CanadaEngland & WalesUS
Ken as a boy’s name, US, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, CanadaBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.00.250.50.7511880192019602000
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex in each published list. Breaks in a line are years with too few babies to be published.
Show the numbers
YearUSEngland & WalesScotlandIrelandCanada
2025#3,240 (36)#3,256 (6)——#2,095 (9)
2024#3,272 (36)———#1,654 (12)
2023#3,228 (37)#3,524 (5)——#2,921 (5)
2022#2,648 (50)#4,002 (4)——#2,810 (5)
2021#2,523 (52)#4,789 (3)——#1,898 (9)
2020#2,366 (56)#3,848 (4)——#1,708 (10)
2019#2,556 (51)———#1,998 (8)
2018#2,210 (62)#4,749 (3)——#1,836 (9)
2017#2,154 (63)#4,812 (3)——#1,194 (17)
2016#1,724 (90)———#1,283 (15)
2015#1,753 (87)#1,786 (13)——#1,266 (15)
2014#1,766 (85)#4,632 (3)——#1,250 (15)
2013#1,878 (75)#4,685 (3)———
2012#1,498 (107)#2,458 (8)——#1,781 (9)
2011#1,687 (88)#2,892 (6)——#1,467 (12)

The tide so far

  • Peaked in the US in 1960 at #177.
  • Falling over the last five years.
  • First recorded in the US in 1900.

How common is it?

about 1 in 48,000 baby boys in the published US list for 2025.

In a group of 1,000 children born that year, you would expect to meet fewer than 1. How we work this out.

How common, country by country

WhereSexLatest yearShareVerdict
USBoys2025about 1 in 48,000rare
England & WalesBoys2025about 1 in 45,000rare
CanadaBoys2025about 1 in 18,000rare

Next year

On its recent trend, Ken is likely to keep falling in the US in 2026: about 1 in 56,000 baby boys. Likely range 1 in 48,000 to 1 in 66,000.

Estimate, not an official figure. How we estimate.

Across the US

Ken by state, 2025Alaska: fewer than 5 babiesAKMaine: fewer than 5 babiesMEWisconsin: fewer than 5 babiesWIVermont: fewer than 5 babiesVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 babiesNHWashington: fewer than 5 babiesWAIdaho: fewer than 5 babiesIDMontana: fewer than 5 babiesMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 babiesMNIllinois: fewer than 5 babiesILMichigan: fewer than 5 babiesMINew York: fewer than 5 babiesNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 babiesMAOregon: fewer than 5 babiesORNevada: fewer than 5 babiesNVWyoming: fewer than 5 babiesWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesSDIowa: fewer than 5 babiesIAIndiana: fewer than 5 babiesINOhio: fewer than 5 babiesOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 babiesPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 babiesNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 babiesCTRhode Island: fewer than 5 babiesRICalifornia: #1,829CAUtah: fewer than 5 babiesUTColorado: fewer than 5 babiesCONebraska: fewer than 5 babiesNEMissouri: fewer than 5 babiesMOKentucky: fewer than 5 babiesKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 babiesWVVirginia: fewer than 5 babiesVAMaryland: fewer than 5 babiesMDDelaware: fewer than 5 babiesDEArizona: fewer than 5 babiesAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 babiesNMKansas: fewer than 5 babiesKSArkansas: fewer than 5 babiesARTennessee: fewer than 5 babiesTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 babiesDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 babiesOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 babiesLAMississippi: fewer than 5 babiesMSAlabama: fewer than 5 babiesALGeorgia: fewer than 5 babiesGAHawaii: fewer than 5 babiesHITexas: fewer than 5 babiesTXFlorida: fewer than 5 babiesFL
Ken (boys) rank in each state, 2025. Hatched states recorded fewer than 5 babies.
  • #1–10
  • #11–50
  • #51–100
  • #101–500
  • below #500

Spellings

Official statistics count each spelling separately, so we show them side by side rather than adding them up.

SpellingWhereSexLatest rankBabies
KenCanadaBoys#2,0959
KenEngland & WalesBoys#3,2566
KenIrelandBoys—too few
KenNorthern IrelandBoys—too few
KenScotlandBoys—too few
KenUSGirls—too few
KenUSBoys#3,24036