Given name & surname · also Old English
Kenton
“keen”·“from the king's town”
Kenton is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “keen” (Old English) and “from the king's town” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “keen” (Old English) and “from the king's town” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Old English, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Kenton through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 11,280
- 11,280 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2014
- 188 babies
- 2025
- 92
- #1,758 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −35%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 92 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,758 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 35.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 188 in 2014. In 2025, Pennsylvania had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (11). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 8,996 as a first name in 2020; 1,737 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.
Kenton’s family of names
Kenton has a related form in Kenten. Kenton has a related form in Kentan. Kenton has a related form in Kentin.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Kenton
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kenton, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kingston
“from the king's town”
>99% boys
King
“the royal ruler”
>99% boys
Kerrick
“under the king's rule”
>99% boys
Hendrick
“the ruler of the house” · “home”
>99% boys
Kennington
“royal”
88% boys · 12% girls
Kington
“king”
—
Aldrich
“an old king”
>99% boys
Kenway
“a brave or royal warrior”
>99% boys