Keneth
Keneth was the 7011th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 12 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 1467th with 29 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,174 places. More babies were named Keneth in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kenneth) Origin uncertain · Scottish Gaelic, Pictish
- Rank in 2025
- #7,011 boys, up 2,150 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 12boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 195629 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,467babies recorded
What does the name Keneth mean?
Keneth is a spelling of Kenneth, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kenneth's meaning and origin.
Kenneth is the English form of two different Gaelic names, Wiktionary and Wikipedia explain. One is Coinneach, older Cainnech, a saint's name from a word meaning 'handsome, comely'; the other is Cináed, a name of early Scottish kings that Wiktionary traces to Pictish. It was long a mainly Scottish name before becoming popular in all English-speaking countries in the 20th century.
Cainnech (Old Irish, “handsome, comely”)Cináed (Old Irish, “Cináed (possibly Pictish)”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two Gaelic names merged in English; 'handsome' applies to Coinneach only.
Related names: Ken, Kenny, Coinneach, Mackenzie.
See also: Scottish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kenneth', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Kenneth', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Keneth popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,011 | 12 |
| 2020 | #9,161 | 8 |
| 2010 | #9,262 | 8 |
| 2000 | #3,480 | 24 |
| 1990 | #4,292 | 13 |
| 1980 | #3,181 | 14 |
| 1970 | #2,449 | 15 |
| 1960 | #1,643 | 25 |
| 1950 | #1,853 | 17 |
| 1940 | #2,405 | 10 |
| 1930 | #1,730 | 19 |
| 1920 | #2,680 | 11 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Keneth, counting every spelling?
Keneth is a spelling of Kenneth, a name family that ranked #301 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #7,011 for Keneth on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,160 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth | 1,148 | #294 | 6,344 |
| Keneth | 12 | #7,011 | 53 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Keneth?
12 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Keneth (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Keneth born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 705 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Keneth.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Keneth?
About 1,000 people born in the US named Keneth are alive today, with a median age of 44; half are between 21 and 64. That makes Keneth mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Keneth: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Keneth, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Keneth
What does Keneth mean?
The origin of Kenneth is uncertain: two Gaelic names merged in English; 'handsome' applies to Coinneach only.
How popular is the name Keneth?
Keneth was the 7011th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 12 babies. Its best year was 1956, when it ranked 1467th with 29 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 2,174 places. More babies were named Keneth in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Keneth a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Keneth in the US.