Given name & surname
Kent
“from the edge or border”
Kent is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the edge or border.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the edge or border.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In Scandinavian use, Kent is used as a contracted form of Kennet.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Kent through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 69,493
- 69,322 boys · 171 girls
- Most popular year
- 1962
- 2,592 babies
- 2025
- 101
- #1,659 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −21%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 101 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,659 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 21.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,587 in 1962. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 54,012 as a first name in 2020; 42,163 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.
Kent’s family of names
In Swedish usage, Kent is a short form of Kenneth. Kent has a related form in Kentrell. Kent developed from Kenneth.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Kent has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its English roots to each of them.
Englishwhere Kent comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kennethfull form · Swedish, Norwegian
- Kentrellvariant
- Kentadiminutive · Swedish
- Kennetfull form
- Kentoydiminutive · ceb
- Deelvariant · English
- Kenntvariant
- Kenttvariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kent
- Kent BeckAmerican software engineerborn 1961
- Kent NielsenDanish footballerborn 1961
- Kent ConradAmerican politician (born 1948)
- Kent BazemoreAmerican basketball playerborn 1989
- Kent HovindAmerican Christian fundamentalist and Young Earth Creationistborn 1953
- Kent KarlssonSwedish footballer and managerborn 1945
- Kent McCordAmerican actorborn 1942
- Kent NaganoAmerican conductor (1951-)
- Kent NilssonSwedish ice hockey playerborn 1956
Characters named Kent: Kent Brockman (The Simpsons franchise).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kent, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ken
“born of fire” · “handsome, fair one”
>99% boys
Kelvin
“a friend of ships; a man of the river”
>99% boys
Kipp
“from the small pointed hill”
>99% boys
Kemp
“the champion”
>99% boys
Curtis
“one who is courteous; polite”
>99% boys
Brent
“from the hill”
>99% boys
Chet
“a vivacious woman”
>99% boys
Flint
“resembling the hard quartz; from the stream”
>99% boys