Ken

Did you know?

A few things about Ken you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Ken

Ken Kesey

American novelist (1935–2001)

Choose Ken and your child shares a first name with Ken Kesey, an American novelist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Ken, like who?” Ken Kesey's Wikipedia article is available in 70 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Ken Kesey on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Associated Students of the California Institute of Technology (ASCIT), Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 47,393 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Ken, 36 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Ken would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryKen first shows up in US birth records in 1900, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 125 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1960, when it ranked #177. Today it's #3,240, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowKen was 3.0× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 15,974 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 47,393.
• 🍂TrendKen has slipped 874 places over the last five years and now sits at #3,240. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 💬MeaningKen is a Scottish form of Kenneth, which means “handsome”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and Gaelic roots.

About the name Ken

Ken is a boy name of Celtic, English and Gaelic origin meaning “handsome”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with K and ending in “-ken”. US birth records list Ken for boys from 1900 to 2025, in 117 of those 126 years. Its best year was 1960, when it ranked #177 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #3,240, with 36 babies.

Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesGaelic namesIrish namesJapanese namesScottish namesWelsh names