Kenny
Boy name · #1268 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Kenny? In official American birth records, Kenny has been tracked continuously since 1908, giving it 117 years of documented American history.
Kenny ranks #1268 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 155 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #892, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 11,613 boys born in 2025 was named Kenny.
The 117-year story
Kenny first appears in the Social Security records in 1908, when 6 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1960, when 1,934 boys were named Kenny — good for #169 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Kenny per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kenny against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kenny in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kenny is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kenny will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kenny is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kenny is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Kenny is most common in MA (0.4 per 1,000), NY (0.2 per 1,000), FL (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Kenny is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Kenny
Kenny belongs to the Kenneth family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Kenneth family went to about 1,339 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #259, versus #1268 for Kenny alone.
Names like Kenny
Statistically, parents drawn to Kenny tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Lenny, Benny, Danny, Ronny, and Perry.
LennyBennyDannyRonnyPerryKelvinJohnnyTony
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kenny | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 155 | #1267 |
| 2024 | 140 | #1355 |
| 2023 | 162 | #1223 |
| 2022 | 160 | #1228 |
| 2021 | 158 | #1218 |
| 2020 | 182 | #1086 |
| 2019 | 257 | #862 |
| 2018 | 207 | #998 |
| 2017 | 217 | #958 |
| 2016 | 242 | #897 |
| 2015 | 247 | #892 |
| 2014 | 265 | #846 |
| 2013 | 283 | #795 |
| 2012 | 310 | #746 |
| 2011 | 328 | #701 |
| 2010 | 385 | #630 |
| 2009 | 404 | #618 |
| 2008 | 493 | #537 |
| 2007 | 522 | #505 |
| 2006 | 521 | #497 |
| 2005 | 555 | #461 |
| 2004 | 520 | #481 |
| 2003 | 527 | #475 |
| 2002 | 550 | #447 |
| 2001 | 511 | #465 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Kenny?
In official American birth records, the name Kenny first appeared in 1908 (over 117 years ago), when 6 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 117 years.
Is Kenny a popular boy name?
Kenny ranked #1268 among boys in 2025 with 155 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #892.
When was the name Kenny most popular?
Kenny peaked in 1960, when 1,934 American boys received the name (ranked #169 that year). Since 1960 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kenny?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 11,613 newborn American boys was named Kenny. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.