ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1929

First Year

2021

Last Year

2017

Peak Year

#10685

Peak Rank

40

Total Count

7

Years Active

🌍

## 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 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King%5F%28given%5Fname%29)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* English

📖

## The Story of King

The earliest SSA record of King as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 27 babies received it. 2017 was its biggest year on record, with 2,694 newborns named King — #147 in the national rankings. About 53% of every King on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, King ranks #432 for baby boys with 729 births, falling sharply (-54%). All told, over 39K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## 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. 

* [Qing](/qing)
* Kung
* [Keng](/keng)
* [Cung](/cung)
* [Kin](/kin)
* [Kim](/kim)
* [Kong](/kong)
* [Kang](/kang)
* [Cong](/cong)
* Qin
* [Kym](/kym)
* [Khang](/khang)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about King

What does the name King mean?

King is the given name or nickname of:

What is the origin of the name King?

King has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is King in 2026?

In 2026, King ranks #432 among boys' names in the U.S., with 729 babies given the name that year.

When was King most popular?

King reached its peak popularity in 2017, ranking #147 that year with 2,694 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is King most popular?

King has historically been most popular in District of Columbia, Mississippi, South Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named King.

Is King a unisex name?

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

What names go well with King?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with King include Reuben, Clayton, Lowell. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧AlderPeak #10685](/alder)[👧WilmaryPeak #10685](/wilmary)[👧RamsayPeak #10685](/ramsay)[👧HollinPeak #10685](/hollin)[👧MauriellePeak #10685](/maurielle)[👧NoriaPeak #10685](/noria)[👧FareehaPeak #10685](/fareeha)[👧DessencePeak #10685](/dessence)

## 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 → ](/year/2017)
* [ Names of the 2010s → ](/decade/2010s)
* [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.