King
King is the given name or nickname of:
Meaning & Origin of King
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
King is the given name or nickname of:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of King
King first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 27 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 2,694 Kings were born — ranking #147 that year. As of 2026, King ranks #432 for baby boys with 729 births, falling sharply (-54%). In total, more than 39K Kings have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like King
Phonetically similar names — useful when King 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 King
What does the name King mean?
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About the name King
King is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 39K births in the dataset. King's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #147. Use the chart and map above to compare King's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2017 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- 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.