Boy · #9,243 in 2026

Kente

Name: Popularity of the name Kente in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Kente, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Kente is a Ghanaian textile, officially recognised as a geographical indication of Ghana to safeguard its authenticity and origin. It is made of hand-woven strips of silk and cotton. Historically, the fabric was worn in a toga-like fashion among the Asante, Akan and Ewe people. According to Asante oral tradition, it originated from Bonwire in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Current Rank

#9,243

Peak Rank

#2,361 (1977)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1977

First Year

2001

Last Year

1977

Peak Year

#2361

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kente

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology

Ashanti king Prempeh II wearing kente Kente comes from the word kɛntɛn , which means "basket" in the Asante dialect of the Akan language , referencing its basket-like pattern. In Ghana, the Akan ethnic group also refers to kente as nwentoma , meaning "woven cloth". Ashanti folklore includes a story where weavers invented kente by seeking to replicate the patterns of Anansi the spider.

Origin & history

Archaeological evidence for the oldest form of handloom weaving in Southern Ghana has been discovered at Begho and Bono Manso . Spindle whorls and dye holes discovered in these sites have been dated to the 14th–18th centuries. At Wenchi , spindle whorls have been dated to the 16th–17th centuries. Asante oral tradition give the origins of Kente to an individual from Bonwire who introduced a loom among the Asante from Bono Gyaman during the reign of Nana Oti Akenten in the 17th century. Another oral source states that it was developed indigenously by individuals from Bonwire during the reign of

The Story of Kente

The earliest SSA record of Kente as a baby boy name dates back to 1977, when 19 babies received it. 1977 was its biggest year on record, with 19 newborns named Kente — #2,361 in the national rankings. About 47% of every Kente on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. Kente last appeared in the published SSA data in 2001, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 55 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Kente

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kente is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Conte
Kenta
Kento
Kunta
Kinta
County
Kent
Canto
Kendo
Conti
Canty
Cantu

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kente

What does the name Kente mean?

How popular is Kente in 2026?

In 2026, Kente ranks #9,243 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Kente most popular?

Kente reached its peak popularity in 1977, ranking #2,361 that year with 19 babies given the name.

Is Kente a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Kente is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Kente?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kente include Alon, Bengie, Danell. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Kente

Kente is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1977 and has accumulated 55 births in the dataset. Kente's peak popularity came in 1977 when it ranked #2,361. Use the chart and map above to compare Kente's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.