boys' name ★ peaked 1960

Kenny

Meaning From Kenneth or Ken +‎ -y (diminutive form) Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #1,271 Trend ↓ Falling 26%

From Kenneth or Ken +‎ -y (diminutive form).

Rank 2025
#1,271
among boys · ↑86 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
161
named Kenny · +4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 11,020
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1960
1,949 babies
All-time total
52,479
#500 all-time among boys
First recorded
1908
in Social Security records

Kenny popularity over time

52,479 babies have been named Kenny since 1908, 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
0.250.50.75118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 11 11 1 – #1,302
1910s – 85 85 9 +673% #1,818
1920s 5 262 267 27 +214% #978
1930s – 1,310 1,310 131 +391% #326
1940s 64 4,945 5,009 501 +282% #251
1950s 68 8,389 8,457 846 +69% #174
1960s 101 12,363 12,464 1,246 +47% #169
1970s 47 4,789 4,836 484 -61% #302
1980s 67 5,596 5,663 566 +17% #303
1990s 87 5,314 5,401 540 -5% #387
2000s 62 5,169 5,231 523 -3% #431
2010s 10 2,741 2,751 275 -47% #631
2020s (to 2025) 37 957 994 166 -40% #1,089

Where Kenny 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 148 0.09 outside top 500
2027 142 0.08 outside top 500
2028 137 0.08 outside top 500
2029 133 0.08 outside top 500
2030 130 0.08 outside top 500

Where Kenny is most popular

Boys named Kenny per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.090 per 1,000. Strongest in Ohio, Florida, and Massachusetts.

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 Kenny 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
Ohio 45 0.170 +89%
Florida 77 0.163 +81%
Massachusetts 21 0.153 +70%
New York 62 0.143 +60%
Virginia 22 0.116 +29%
California 100 0.109 +22%
Texas 75 0.085 -5%
New Jersey 16 0.079 -11%
North Carolina 18 0.070 -21%
Louisiana 6 0.059 -35%
Oklahoma 5 0.057 -37%
Maryland 5 0.042 -53%
Pennsylvania 11 0.041 -54%
Minnesota 5 0.041 -55%
Arizona 6 0.037 -59%
Georgia 5 0.020 -78%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
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 Kenny

Kenny is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,271 in 2025 with 155 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1908, 52,479 American babies have been named Kenny. Its peak came in 1960, when 1,949 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

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

How old are people named Kenny?

The median living Kenny is about 51 years old; half are between 29 and 64. An estimated 44 thousand people named Kenny are alive in the United States today.

median 51 020406080100

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

Kenny 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 6 #14,076 155 #1,271
2024 15 #7,422 140 #1,357
2023 9 #10,759 162 #1,223
2022 7 #12,926 160 #1,234
2021 – – 158 #1,221
2020 – – 182 #1,089
2019 – – 257 #863
2018 – – 207 #1,001
2017 5 #17,192 217 #959
2016 – – 242 #898
2015 – – 247 #893
2014 – – 265 #846
2013 5 #17,973 283 #795
2012 – – 310 #746
2011 – – 328 #701
2010 – – 385 #631
2009 – – 404 #618
2008 10 #11,223 493 #537
2007 5 #19,095 522 #507
2006 8 #13,000 521 #497
2005 9 #11,385 555 #462
2004 10 #10,304 520 #481
2003 – – 527 #477
2002 11 #9,166 550 #448
2001 9 #10,568 511 #465
2000 – – 566 #431
1995 8 #10,043 574 #399
1990 7 #10,782 516 #431
1985 6 #9,927 573 #335
1980 – – 574 #330
1975 – – 354 #410
1970 6 #7,484 668 #302
1965 8 #5,045 1,103 #217
1960 15 #3,277 1,934 #169
1955 5 #6,281 689 #272
1950 5 #5,693 514 #299
1945 7 #3,840 520 #253
1940 – – 317 #316
1935 – – 122 #524
1930 – – 57 #880
1925 – – 21 #1,715
1920 – – 7 #3,660
1915 – – 9 #2,730
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Kenny

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

  1. 1 Kenny Rogers Kenny Rogers American country singer (1938–2020) Contemporary
  2. 2 Kenny Dalglish Kenny Dalglish Scottish footballer and manager (born 1951) Contemporary
  3. 3 Kenny Chesney Kenny Chesney American country musician (born 1968) Contemporary
  4. 4 Kenny Loggins Kenny Loggins American musician (born 1948) Contemporary
  5. 5 Kenny Omega Kenny Omega Canadian-born professional wrestler (born 1983) Contemporary
  6. 6 Kenny G Kenny G American jazz saxophonist and composer (born 1956) Contemporary
  7. 7 Kenny Ortega Kenny Ortega American filmmaker and choreographer b. 1950 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Kenny Smith Kenny Smith American basketball player and sports commentator (born 1965) Contemporary
  9. 9 Kenny Johnson Kenny Johnson American actor (born 1963) Contemporary
  10. 10 Kenny Atkinson Kenny Atkinson American basketball coach (born 1967) Contemporary
  11. 11 Kenny Wayne Shepherd Kenny Wayne Shepherd American guitarist (born 1977) Contemporary
  12. 12 Kenny Anderson Basketball player, United States b. 1970 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Kenny Baker Kenny Baker English actor and musician (1934–2016) Contemporary
  14. 14 Kenny Miller Kenny Miller Scottish footballer (born 1979) Contemporary
  15. 15 Kenny Wormald Kenny Wormald American actor b. 1984 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Kenny Burrell Kenny Burrell American jazz guitarist (born 1931) Contemporary
  17. 17 Kenny Sansom Kenny Sansom English footballer b. 1958 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Kenny Bräck Kenny Bräck Swedish racing driver (born 1966) Contemporary
  19. 19 Kenny Dorham Kenny Dorham American jazz trumpeter (1924–1972) Contemporary
  20. 20 Kenny Clarke Kenny Clarke American jazz drummer (1914–1985) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Kenny?

The median living Kenny is about 51 years old. Half of all living Kennys are between 29 and 64 years old.

How many people named Kenny are alive today?

An estimated 44 thousand people named Kenny are alive in the United States, based on 52,479 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kenny mean?

From Kenneth or Ken +‎ -y (diminutive form).

How popular is the name Kenny in 2025?

Kenny ranked #1,271 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 155 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kenny?

52,479 babies have been named Kenny in the United States since 1908, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kenny most popular?

Kenny peaked in 1960, when 1,949 newborns received the name.

Is Kenny a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Kenny rising or falling?

Kenny is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kenny become more popular?

Kenny is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 130 boys named Kenny 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 Kenny?

Well-known people named Kenny include Kenny Rogers (singer), Kenny Dalglish (soccer player), Kenny Chesney (musician).

Names like Kenny

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

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