Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2015

Kei

Meaning A unisex given name from Japanese Gender Unisex · 22% girls Rank 2025 #6,284

A unisex given name from Japanese.

Rank 2025
#6,284
among boys · ↓1,648 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
14
named Kei · -36% vs 2024
How common
1 in 122,005
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2015
40 babies
All-time total
837
#6,734 all-time among boys
First recorded
1920
in Social Security records

Kei popularity over time

837 babies have been named Kei since 1920, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.010.020.0218801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – 13 13 1 – #3,577
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s 11 15 26 3 – #4,237
1980s 51 61 112 11 +331% #4,098
1990s 51 99 150 15 +34% #3,924
2000s 24 139 163 16 +9% #4,695
2010s 42 212 254 25 +56% #3,402
2020s (to 2025) 7 112 119 20 -22% #4,168

The story of Kei

Kei is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #6,284 in 2025 with 14 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1920, 837 American babies have been named Kei, about 78% boys and 22% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2015, when 40 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kei stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kei?

The median living Kei is about 17 years old; half are between 9 and 31. An estimated 800 people named Kei are alive in the United States today.

median 17 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kei year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 14 #6,284
2024 – – 22 #4,636
2023 7 #12,804 26 #4,168
2022 – – 17 #5,541
2021 – – 15 #5,906
2020 – – 18 #5,144
2019 5 #16,785 22 #4,563
2018 6 #14,746 25 #4,155
2017 – – 25 #4,180
2016 – – 30 #3,647
2015 7 #13,743 33 #3,402
2014 5 #17,885 25 #4,077
2013 – – 19 #4,894
2012 5 #18,228 16 #5,607
2011 7 #14,070 11 #7,266
2010 7 #14,244 6 #11,510
2009 – – 14 #6,282
2008 5 #19,026 17 #5,374
2007 – – 13 #6,457
2006 6 #16,145 12 #6,693
2005 – – 12 #6,431
2004 – – 18 #4,695
2003 – – 13 #5,725
2002 – – 11 #6,321
2001 8 #11,522 14 #5,287
2000 5 #16,291 15 #4,923
1995 – – 10 #5,718
1990 8 #9,689 11 #4,847
1985 8 #7,916 7 #5,464
1980 10 #6,516 8 #4,738
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – 7 #3,577
1920 – – 6 #4,052
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Kei

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Kei Nishikori Kei Nishikori Japanese tennis player (born 1989) Contemporary
  2. 2 Kei Kumai Kei Kumai Japanese film director (1930–2007) Contemporary
  3. 3 Kei Chinen Japanese football player b. 1995 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Kei Koizumi Japanese footballer b. 1995 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Kei Ishikawa Kei Ishikawa Japanese footballer b. 1992 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Kei Ikeda Japanese footballer b. 1986 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Kei Yamaguchi Japanese footballer (born 1983) Contemporary
  8. 8 Kei Omoto Kei Omoto Japanese footballer b. 1984 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Kei Uemura Japanese footballer b. 1981 · Contemporary
  10. 10 Kei Taniguchi Japanese mountain climber b. 1974 · Contemporary
  11. 11 Kei Mikuriya Japanese footballer b. 1977 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Kei Munechika Japanese footballer b. 1992 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Kei Sugimoto Soccer player, Japan b. 1982 · Contemporary
  14. 14 Kei Nakano Soccer player, Japan b. 1988 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kei, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kei?

The median living Kei is about 17 years old. Half of all living Keis are between 9 and 31 years old.

How many people named Kei are alive today?

An estimated 800 people named Kei are alive in the United States, based on 837 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kei mean?

A unisex given name from Japanese.

How popular is the name Kei in 2025?

Kei ranked #6,284 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 14 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kei?

837 babies have been named Kei in the United States since 1920, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kei most popular?

Kei peaked in 2015, when 40 newborns received the name.

Is Kei a boy or girl name?

Kei is used for both: about 22% of babies named Kei have been girls and 78% boys.

Is the name Kei rising or falling?

Kei has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Kei?

Well-known people named Kei include Kei Nishikori (tennis player), Kei Kumai (film director), Kei Chinen (soccer player).

Names like Kei

Names that sound and feel close to Kei: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kei with similar names → More names starting with K →