Kensington
Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around 2.9 miles (4.6 km) west of Central London.
Meaning & Origin of Kensington
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around 2.9 miles (4.6 km) west of Central London.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Origin & history
The Story of Kensington
As a girl name
Kensington first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1997, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2015, when 278 Kensingtons were born — ranking #972 that year. As of 2026, Kensington ranks #3,196 for girls with 50 births, falling sharply (-63%). In total, more than 3K Kensingtons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1990s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Kensington first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2006, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2018, when 18 Kensingtons were born — ranking #5,104 that year. As of 2026, Kensington ranks #8,947 for boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-36%). In total, more than 161 Kensingtons have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Kensington
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Renée Asherson (1915–2014), actress
- Shaun Bailey, Baron Bailey of Paddington (born 1971), politician and former journalist
- Jeremy Bamber (born 1961), convicted mass murderer
- Ivan Berlyn (1867–1934), film and stage actor
- Antonia Bird (1951–2013), film director
- Howard Blake (born 1938), composer, conductor and pianist
- Betty Boo (born 1970), singer and songwriter
- Frank Boys (1918–2003), first-class cricketer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Kensington
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kensington is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Kennington
- Cunnington
- Cummington
- Carrington
- Consenting
- Huntington
- Consumption
- Consentant
- Consension
- Consulting
- Kinsmen
- Covington
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Kensington
What does the name Kensington mean?
How popular is Kensington in 2026?
When was Kensington most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kensington most popular?
Is Kensington a unisex name?
What names go well with Kensington?
About the name Kensington
Kensington is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1997 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Kensington's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #972. Use the chart and map above to compare Kensington's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2015 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.