Kenny
Kenny is a surname, a given name, and a diminutive of several different given names.
- Scottish
- English
Meaning & Origin of Kenny
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kenny is a surname, a given name, and a diminutive of several different given names.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Scottish
- English
The Story of Kenny
The earliest SSA record of Kenny as a baby boy name dates back to 1908, when 6 babies received it. 1960 was its biggest year on record, with 1,937 newborns named Kenny — #169 in the national rankings. About 24% of every Kenny on record arrived during the 1960s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kenny ranks #1,380 for baby boys with 137 births, falling sharply (-28%). All told, over 52K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Kenny
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kenny. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Kenny
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kenny is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kenny
What does the name Kenny mean?
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How popular is Kenny in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Kenny most popular?
Is Kenny a unisex name?
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About the name Kenny
Kenny is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1908 and has accumulated 52K births in the dataset. Kenny's peak popularity came in 1960 when it ranked #169. Use the chart and map above to compare Kenny's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1960 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.