Ken
How to say it: KEN · /ˈkɛn/
Scottish short form of Kenneth (from Gaelic 'Coinneach', meaning 'handsome'). In Japanese, can mean 'health', 'strong', or 'sword'.
Ken was the 2,543rd most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 36 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1960s, its births are down about 55% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #3,542 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #2,543 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 36 |
| Share of births | 1 in 92,092 |
| Peak decade | 1960s |
| Change over 10 years | −55% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #3,542 |
| In France, 2025 | #2,436 among boys’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Ken peaked in the 1960s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Ken is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, English, French, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish.
In France: #2,436 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Ken
- Ken Watanabe (born 1959)Japanese actor
- Ken Livingstone (born 1945)English politician (born 1945); Mayor of London from 2000 until 2008
- Ken Kesey (1935–2001)American novelist
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Ken Carson, introduced by Mattel in 1961, is Barbie's boyfriend and one of the world's best-known dolls
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