Given name & surname · also English
Ken
“born of fire”·“handsome, fair one”·“born of the fire; an attractive man”
Ken is a form of Kenneth. Interpretations include “born of fire”, “handsome, fair one”, and “born of the fire; an attractive man” (Irish). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Original Japaneseケン
Meaning & origin
What it means
Ken is a form of Kenneth. Interpretations include “born of fire”, “handsome, fair one”, and “born of the fire; an attractive man” (Irish). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
This spelling has been associated with English and Japanese naming traditions.
How it developed
Ken is used as a form of Kenneth.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1900. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Ken through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 33,043
- 33,013 boys · 30 girls
- Most popular year
- 1960
- 1,780 babies
- 2025
- 36
- #3,277 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −34%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 36 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,277 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,775 in 1960. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (8). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 69,582 as a first name in 2020; 622 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ken’s family of names
In English usage, Ken is a diminutive of Kenneth. Ken has a related form in Kenny. Ken is a short form of Kenneth.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Ken has relatives in 5 languages. Lines run from its Japanese roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kennethfull form · English, Norwegian
- Kennyvariant
- Kennivariant
- Kennievariant
- Kenneyvariant
- Red Kennickname
- Kenotdiminutive · ceb
- Kenneevariant
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Spellings & scripts 9
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
- ケンoriginal script · Japanese
- 建original script · Japanese
- 兼original script · Japanese
- 堅original script · Japanese
- 剣original script · Japanese
- 健original script · Japanese
- 賢original script · Japanese
- 硏original script · Japanese
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Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Ken
- Ken KeseyAmerican novelist (1935–2001)
- Ken ThompsonAmerican programmer and computer scientist, co-creator of the Unix operating system (born 1943)
- Ken FollettBritish novelist (born 1949)
- Ken LoachEnglish film director and screenwriter (born 1936)
- Ken WatanabeJapanese actorborn 1959
- Ken NaganumaJapanese association football player and manager (1930–2008)
- Ken LivingstoneEnglish politician (born 1945); Mayor of London from 2000 until 2008
- Ken NoritakeJapanese association football player (1922–1994)
- Ken PageAmerican actor (1954–2024)
Characters named Ken: Ken (toy doll, fictional boyfriend of Barbie), Ken Masters (the Street Fighter fighting game series), Ken Wakashimazu (Captain Tsubasa).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Ken, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kent
“from the edge or border”
>99% boys
Kemp
“the champion”
>99% boys
Kelvin
“a friend of ships; a man of the river”
>99% boys
Carlton
“from the free man's town”
>99% boys
Ron
“song of Joy”
>99% boys
Kipp
“from the small pointed hill”
>99% boys
Dan
“he judged”
97% boys · 3% girls
Ted
“a gift from God” · “having heart”
>99% boys