boys' name ★ peaked 2024

Kenan

Meaning A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,148 Trend ↑ Rising 22%

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.

Rank 2025
#1,148
among boys · ↓14 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
184
named Kenan · -2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 9,283
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2024
187 babies
All-time total
4,675
#1,879 all-time among boys
First recorded
1947
in Social Security records

Kenan popularity over time

4,675 babies have been named Kenan since 1947, 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
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – 10 10 1 – #3,977
1950s – 52 52 5 +420% #2,436
1960s – 107 107 11 +106% #1,837
1970s – 258 258 26 +141% #1,385
1980s 5 350 355 36 +38% #1,580
1990s 9 770 779 78 +119% #970
2000s 11 1,045 1,056 106 +36% #1,213
2010s 5 1,104 1,109 111 +5% #1,161
2020s (to 2025) – 949 949 158 +43% #1,134

Where Kenan is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 191 0.11 outside top 500
2027 197 0.12 outside top 500
2028 203 0.12 outside top 500
2029 208 0.12 outside top 500
2030 212 0.12 outside top 500

Where Kenan is most popular

Boys named Kenan per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.094 per 1,000. Strongest in Michigan, New York, and North Carolina.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Kenan born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Michigan 81 0.396 +320%
New York 101 0.233 +148%
North Carolina 50 0.196 +108%
Illinois 39 0.153 +62%
Virginia 24 0.126 +34%
Ohio 30 0.113 +20%
Georgia 24 0.095 ≈ national
Florida 38 0.080 -15%
Missouri 11 0.079 -16%
New Jersey 15 0.075 -21%
Connecticut 5 0.074 -22%
Texas 62 0.070 -25%
California 58 0.063 -33%
Washington 8 0.049 -48%
Indiana 5 0.031 -67%
Arizona 5 0.031 -68%
Pennsylvania 8 0.030 -68%
Tennessee 5 0.028 -71%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Minnesota – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Kenan

Kenan is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,148 in 2025 with 184 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1947, 4,675 American babies have been named Kenan. Its peak came in 2024, when 187 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Kenan stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kenan?

The median living Kenan is about 18 years old; half are between 7 and 28. An estimated 4,600 people named Kenan are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

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

Kenan 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 – – 184 #1,148
2024 – – 187 #1,134
2023 – – 143 #1,332
2022 – – 168 #1,194
2021 – – 132 #1,389
2020 – – 135 #1,330
2019 – – 168 #1,161
2018 – – 135 #1,337
2017 – – 98 #1,628
2016 – – 106 #1,559
2015 – – 94 #1,673
2014 – – 110 #1,480
2013 – – 73 #1,926
2012 – – 103 #1,549
2011 – – 129 #1,324
2010 5 #18,464 88 #1,731
2009 – – 99 #1,611
2008 – – 121 #1,405
2007 6 #16,548 104 #1,521
2006 – – 104 #1,472
2005 – – 107 #1,395
2004 – – 94 #1,463
2003 – – 98 #1,378
2002 5 #16,812 114 #1,213
2001 – – 98 #1,332
2000 – – 106 #1,249
1995 – – 82 #1,302
1990 – – 41 #1,885
1985 5 #11,503 34 #1,776
1980 – – 38 #1,580
1975 – – 29 #1,730
1970 – – 12 #2,800
1965 – – 19 #1,837
1960 – – – –
1955 – – 10 #2,674
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Kenan

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

  1. 1 Kenan Thompson Kenan Thompson American actor and comedian (born 1978) Contemporary
  2. 2 Kenan Evren Kenan Evren 7th President of Turkey from 1982 to 1989 1917–2015 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Kenan İmirzalıoğlu Kenan İmirzalıoğlu Turkish actor and model b. 1974 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Kenan Karaman Kenan Karaman Turkish footballer (born 1994) Contemporary
  5. 5 Kenan Doğulu Kenan Doğulu Turkish pop musician b. 1974 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Kenan?

The median living Kenan is about 18 years old. Half of all living Kenans are between 7 and 28 years old.

How many people named Kenan are alive today?

An estimated 4,600 people named Kenan are alive in the United States, based on 4,675 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kenan mean?

A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.

How popular is the name Kenan in 2025?

Kenan ranked #1,148 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 184 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kenan?

4,675 babies have been named Kenan in the United States since 1947, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kenan most popular?

Kenan peaked in 2024, when 187 newborns received the name.

Is Kenan a boy or girl name?

Kenan is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Kenan rising or falling?

Kenan is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kenan become more popular?

Kenan is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 212 boys named Kenan in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Kenan?

Well-known people named Kenan include Kenan Thompson (comedian), Kenan Evren (politician), Kenan İmirzalıoğlu (actor).

Names like Kenan

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

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