Key
The Story of Key
As a girl name
Key first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1970, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1970, when 5 Keys were born — ranking #7,996 that year. As of 2026, Key ranks #14,411 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 10 Keys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Key first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1993, when 12 Keys were born — ranking #4,697 that year. As of 2026, Key ranks #9,864 for boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 166 Keys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Key
Phonetically similar names — useful when Key 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 Key
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About the name Key
Key is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 166 births in the dataset. Key's peak popularity came in 1993 when it ranked #4,697. Use the chart and map above to compare Key's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1993 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy 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.