The first name Kenji
A boy’s name from Japanese.
2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Japanese origin
Borrowed from Japanese けんじ (Kenji).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 10 boys were named Kenji, making it the 2,269th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2022, with 16 births (#1,534).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kenji with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Kenji at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 249 boys born in the United States were named Kenji, the 944th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2022, when 337 were.
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 Kenji
4 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Kenji GorréCuracaoan footballer, born 1994
- Kenji MiyamotoCommunist leader (1908–2007)
- Kenji MiyamotoFigure skater, born 1978
- Mike ShinodaAmerican musician, rapper, singer and songwriter, born 1977
More Japanese boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Kenji mean?
- Borrowed from Japanese けんじ (Kenji).
- What is the origin of the name Kenji?
- Borrowed from Japanese けんじ (Kenji).
- How popular is the name Kenji?
- In 2025, 10 boys born in England and Wales were named Kenji, ranking 2,269th. Its peak was 2022, with 16 births.
- Is Kenji a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 5,657 US babies named Kenji since 1880 were boys.
- When was Kenji most popular?
- 2022 in the United States, when 337 babies were named Kenji, its highest rank at 754th.