# Kenneth (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/kenneth/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | boys |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic |
| Meaning | “handsome” |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛn.əθ/, 2 syllables |
| Nicknames | Ken, Kenny, Kendra |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 1,289,312 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 1,283,974 / 5,338 (0% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 1,135, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

Anglicized form of two Goidelic names, Old Irish Cináed, the name of Scottish kings derived from Pictish *ᚉᚔᚅᚔᚑᚇ (Ciniod), and the saint's name Cainnech (literally “handsome”) (modern Scottish Gaelic Coinneach), as in the surname Mackenzie.

## What it means

Kenneth is grouped under beauty.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 11 | 7,853 |
| 1997 | 15 | 6,334 |
| 1998 | 9 | 9,710 |
| 1999 | 9 | 9,915 |
| 2000 | 6 | 14,067 |
| 2001 | 6 | 14,457 |
| 2003 | 9 | 10,872 |
| 2004 | 17 | 6,943 |
| 2005 | 7 | 13,756 |
| 2006 | 9 | 11,943 |
| 2007 | 5 | 19,091 |
| 2008 | 6 | 16,471 |
| 2010 | 5 | 18,472 |
| 2016 | 5 | 17,606 |
| 2019 | 7 | 13,132 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2,217 | 170 |
| 2012 | 2,224 | 175 |
| 2013 | 2,177 | 187 |
| 2014 | 2,153 | 191 |
| 2015 | 2,033 | 198 |
| 2016 | 1,921 | 208 |
| 2017 | 1,766 | 217 |
| 2018 | 1,671 | 225 |
| 2019 | 1,623 | 233 |
| 2020 | 1,483 | 243 |
| 2021 | 1,373 | 258 |
| 2022 | 1,312 | 263 |
| 2023 | 1,321 | 262 |
| 2024 | 1,190 | 284 |
| 2025 | 1,148 | 294 |

### England and Wales, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 33 | 878 |
| 2012 | 28 | 998 |
| 2013 | 22 | 1,147 |
| 2014 | 31 | 935 |
| 2015 | 34 | 888 |
| 2016 | 39 | 818 |
| 2017 | 29 | 1,021 |
| 2018 | 19 | 1,324 |
| 2019 | 31 | 929 |
| 2020 | 23 | 1,150 |
| 2021 | 26 | 1,078 |
| 2022 | 23 | 1,179 |
| 2023 | 23 | 1,207 |
| 2024 | 32 | 968 |
| 2025 | 30 | 1,007 |

## In other languages

- Arabic: كِينِيث
- Chinese: 肯尼思
- Greek: Κενέτας, Κορνήλιος, Κένεθ
- Italian: Canizio
- Japanese: ケネス
- Korean: 케네스
- Portuguese: Kenneth
- Russian: Ке́ннет
- Scottish Gaelic: Coinneach
- Spanish: Kenneth

## People named Kenneth

- John Kenneth Galbraith, Canadian-American economist and diplomat (1908–2006)
- Kenneth Kaunda, First president of Zambia (1924–2021)
- Kenneth Arrow, American economist (1921–2017)
- Kenneth Branagh, British actor and filmmaker (born 1960)
- Kenneth Grahame, British novelist
- Kenneth II of Scotland, 10th-century King of Alba (Scotland)
- Kenneth Clark, English art historian, museum director, and broadcaster (1903–1983)
- Kenneth Waltz, American political scientist and international relations theoretician (1924-2013)
- Kenneth E. Iverson, Canadian computer scientist (1920–2004)
- Kenneth Lonergan, American film director, playwright, and screenwriter
- Kenneth Anger, American filmmaker (1927–2023)
- Kenneth Taylor, Dutch association football player (born 2002)

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.