Kent
Kent was the 1659th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 101 babies. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked 136th with 2,587 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 475 places. More babies were named Kent in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning from the county of Kent · Celtic, English
Say it KENT /kɛnt/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,659 boys, down 227 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 101boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19622,587 babies
- Total since 1880
- 69,493babies recorded
What does the name Kent mean?
Kent is the name of the county in southeast England, used as a surname and then as a first name. The county name is very old: Old English Cent comes from the Latin Cantium and a Brythonic (Celtic) name probably related to a word for "rim, edge, corner", perhaps describing a coastal district. Kent became popular as a short, modern-sounding first name in the US in the mid-20th century.
Cantium (Latin, “Kent”)*kantos (Proto-Celtic, “corner, rim”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Celtic root is generally linked to "edge, corner", but the exact sense of the place-name is not certain.
Related names: Kenton.
See also: Celtic names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kent', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Kent (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Kent popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 171 since 1926.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,659 | 101 |
| 2020 | #1,432 | 121 |
| 2010 | #1,329 | 129 |
| 2000 | #774 | 215 |
| 1990 | #488 | 394 |
| 1980 | #357 | 497 |
| 1970 | #216 | 1,153 |
| 1960 | #148 | 2,397 |
| 1950 | #180 | 1,233 |
| 1940 | #216 | 578 |
| 1930 | #460 | 166 |
| 1920 | #670 | 91 |
| 1910 | #1,014 | 11 |
| 1900 | #1,412 | 5 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kent, counting every spelling?
Kent has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,548 for boys in 2025, against #1,659 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Kent?
101 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kent (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kent 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 83 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kent.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kent?
About 49,300 people born in the US named Kent are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 49 and 69. That makes Kent a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Kent by state
How common Kent was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 38 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kent: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kent, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kent · Sibling names for Kent
Questions about the name Kent
What does Kent mean?
Kent means “from the county of Kent” (Celtic, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Kent?
Kent was the 1659th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 101 babies. Its best year was 1962, when it ranked 136th with 2,587 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 475 places. More babies were named Kent in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Kent a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kent in the US.
Where is Kent most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kent was most common in Utah (0.15 per 1,000 boys), followed by Indiana and Pennsylvania.