Updated May 24, 2023

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Boy name origins & meanings

  • English : Royal obligation
  • Irish : Handsome
  • Scottish : Good-looking, fair

What does Kenneth mean and stand for?

The name Kenneth is of Irish origin and means "handsome." King Kenneth, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th Century, is one of the first namesakes. Later, author Kenneth Grahame, who wrote Wind of the Williows, popularized the name.

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Ken

Ken

- 6% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Kevin

Kevin

- 2% this year
Masculine
Common
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Kennet

Kennet

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Kenny

Kenny

+ 1% this year
Neutral
Rare
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Kenney

Kenney

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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Kenn

Kenn

0 % this year
Masculine
Rare
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How Popular Is The Name Kenneth

Family name origins & meanings

  • Scottish : from a Gaelic personal name (Coinneach) meaning ‘handsome’, now generally Anglicized as Kenneth, although this was originally the Anglicized form of Cionaodh (see McKinney). Etymologically, this surname is equivalent to Kenny (which can arise from either personal name) and McKenzie (which is from Coinneach).

Famous people who gave their babies this name

What Does the Name Kenneth Mean?

The name Kenneth means "handsome." It was once a noble and popular name, but has since fallen off the charts. It's abbreviation, Ken, tends to be much more popular.

How Popular is the Name Kenneth?

Kenneth is the number 258 most popular boys name in the US, according to 2021 Social Security Administration data. It has not been in the top 100 for decades, and as the years go by, Kenneth continues to drop in the ranks slowly.

However, it is the 12th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

Popularity of the Name Kenneth in the United States

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Kenneth was at its peak popularity in July 2020.

Kenneth was searched for most often in the following states:

  1. District of Columbia
  2. South Carolina
  3. New York
  4. Louisiana
  5. New Jersey

Famous People Named Kenneth and Kenneth in Pop Culture

Kenneth was the name of the first few kings of Scotland. Since then, it has other notable namesakes: singer Kenneth (Kenny) Chesney, singer Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers, singer Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins, comedian Kenneth Charles Williams, Nobel prize winner Kenneth Joseph Arrow, and actor Kenneth Welsh are among a few of the famous Kenneths. Not to mention, Barbie's Ken's full name is Kenneth Carson. Kenneth has also appeared in South Park, 30 Rock, Donnie Darko, and Pretty Little Liars.

Pairs Well with These Middle Names

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Meaning and Origin of Kenneth