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Name Lineage

    The first name Ken

    A boy’s name.

    Pronounced /kɛn/ 1 syllable Male

    Meaning and origin

    A diminutive of the male given name Kenneth.

    Ken is a short form of

    .

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 6 boys were named Ken, making it the 3,256th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2015, with 13 births (#1,786).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    187
    babies named Ken, 1996–2025
    #3,256
    rank in 2025
    2015
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ken with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Ken at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 36 boys born in the United States were named Ken, the 3,277th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1960, when 1,775 were.

    01,0002,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    33,043
    babies named Ken since 1880
    #3,277
    rank in 2025
    1960
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Ken

    172 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Ken Kesey
      American novelist (1935–2001)
    • Ken Livingstone
      English politician (born 1945); Mayor of London from 2000 until 2008
    • Ken Page
      American actor (1954–2024)
    • Ken Russell
      British film director (1927–2011)
    • Ken Mattingly
      American astronaut, 1936–2023
    • Ken Leung
      American actor, born 1970
    • Ken Burns
      American documentarian and filmmaker (born 1953)
    • Ken Rosewall
      Australian tennis player, born 1934
    • Ken Berry
      American actor (1933–2018)
    • Ken Wilber
      American writer and public speaker, born 1949
    • Ken Norton
      American boxer (1943-2013)
    • Ken Anderson
      American professional wrestler and actor, born 1976

    Questions

    How popular is the name Ken?
    In 2025, 6 boys born in England and Wales were named Ken, ranking 3,256th. Its peak was 2015, with 13 births.
    Is Ken a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 33,043 US babies named Ken since 1880 were boys.
    When was Ken most popular?
    1960 in the United States, when 1,775 babies were named Ken, its highest rank at 177th.
    How do you pronounce Ken?
    Ken is /kɛn/, one syllable.