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The short answer
Kenneth is a masculine name used in Scottish and English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century." It ranked #294 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed. This name was borne by the Scottish king Kenneth (Cináed) mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. The entry lists its usage as Scottish, English, Swedish, Danish and others.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Kenneth ranked #294 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #294 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (Scottish) and that sit near Kenneth in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kenneth mean?
Behind the Name does not give Kenneth a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed.
Is Kenneth a popular name?
Kenneth ranked #294 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Kenneth a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Kenneth appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Kenneth — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
