Knightley
The Story of Knightley
As a girl name
Knightley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2009, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2021, when 13 Knightleys were born — ranking #8,021 that year. As of 2026, Knightley ranks #12,120 for girls with 7 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 102 Knightleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2000s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Knightley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2012, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2024, when 7 Knightleys were born — ranking #9,864 that year. As of 2026, Knightley ranks #9,864 for boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 33 Knightleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Knightley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Knightley 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 Knightley
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About the name Knightley
Knightley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2009 and has accumulated 102 births in the dataset. Knightley's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #8,021. Use the chart and map above to compare Knightley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2021 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- 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.