Ky: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,623

among boys · ↑652 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Ky · +24% vs 2024

How common

1 in 55,099

boys born in 2025

Peak year

1990

48 babies

All-time total

1,659

#3,947 all-time among boys

First recorded

1950

in Social Security records

Ky popularity over time

1,659 babies have been named Ky since 1950, 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

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	–	–	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	30	30	3	–	#2,743
1960s	5	65	70	7	+133%	#2,089
1970s	18	150	168	17	+140%	#2,089
1980s	10	244	254	25	+51%	#1,775
1990s	46	298	344	34	+35%	#1,894
2000s	15	269	284	28	-17%	#2,719
2010s	47	270	317	32	+12%	#2,982
2020s (to 2025)	13	179	192	32	+1%	#3,386

Where Ky 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	32	0.02	outside top 500
2027	33	0.02	outside top 500
2028	33	0.02	outside top 500
2029	34	0.02	outside top 500
2030	34	0.02	outside top 500

The story of Ky

Ky is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,623 in 2025 with 31 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1950, 1,659 American babies have been named Ky, about 91% boys and 9% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1990, when 48 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

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

How old are people named Ky?

The median living Ky is about 26 years old; half are between 12 and 38. An estimated 1,600 people named Ky are alive in the United States today.

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

Ky 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	–	–	31	#3,623
2024	–	–	25	#4,275
2023	5	#16,497	35	#3,386
2022	8	#11,765	33	#3,504
2021	–	–	30	#3,702
2020	–	–	25	#4,093
2019	5	#16,895	19	#5,069
2018	5	#17,003	33	#3,421
2017	7	#13,462	40	#2,982
2016	6	#15,370	24	#4,265
2015	5	#17,928	24	#4,241
2014	6	#15,676	29	#3,661
2013	–	–	28	#3,713
2012	8	#12,866	25	#4,082
2011	–	–	29	#3,661
2010	5	#18,573	19	#4,953
2009	–	–	22	#4,521
2008	–	–	18	#5,178
2007	–	–	27	#3,853
2006	–	–	18	#4,971
2005	–	–	32	#3,206
2004	–	–	24	#3,813
2003	6	#14,881	34	#2,895
2002	–	–	32	#2,918
2001	–	–	35	#2,719
2000	9	#10,356	27	#3,190
1995	5	#14,657	21	#3,262
1990	7	#10,819	41	#1,894
1985	–	–	22	#2,397
1980	–	–	16	#2,905
1975	–	–	18	#2,407
1970	–	–	17	#2,253
1965	–	–	9	#2,897
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	5	#4,150
1950	–	–	5	#3,959
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	–	–	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	–	–	–	–
1910	–	–	–	–
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Ky?

The median living Ky is about 26 years old. Half of all living Kys are between 12 and 38 years old.

How many people named Ky are alive today?

An estimated 1,600 people named Ky are alive in the United States, based on 1,659 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Ky mean?

A short form of the female given names Kylie, Kylee, or Kyleigh, used as a nickname and/or as a form that is not overtly feminine.

How popular is the name Ky in 2025?

Ky ranked #3,623 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 31 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ky?

1,659 babies have been named Ky in the United States since 1950, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ky most popular?

Ky peaked in 1990, when 48 newborns received the name.

Is Ky a boy or girl name?

Ky is used for both: about 9% of babies named Ky have been girls and 91% boys.

Is the name Ky rising or falling?

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

Will Ky become more popular?

Ky is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 34 boys named Ky in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Ky

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

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