Kenji
Boy name · #945 in 2025 · Uniqueness 62/100
Kenji is currently the #945 boy name in the United States — 249 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1406, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 7,229 boys born in 2025 was named Kenji.
The 112-year story
Kenji first appears in the Social Security records in 1913, when 5 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 337 babies and a rank of #754. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Kenji per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kenji against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kenji in class?
Kenji scores 62 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Kenji is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kenji is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Kenjis were CA (51), FL (15), WA (12), OH (11), NC (10). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Kenji
Statistically, parents drawn to Kenji tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Khai, Karim, Kabir, Kylen, and Kaleo.
KhaiKarimKabirKylenKaleoShaiRishiKenai
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kenji | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 249 | #943 |
| 2024 | 284 | #854 |
| 2023 | 296 | #827 |
| 2022 | 337 | #754 |
| 2021 | 281 | #845 |
| 2020 | 245 | #910 |
| 2019 | 156 | #1218 |
| 2018 | 141 | #1294 |
| 2017 | 137 | #1314 |
| 2016 | 125 | #1399 |
| 2015 | 122 | #1406 |
| 2014 | 96 | #1619 |
| 2013 | 125 | #1352 |
| 2012 | 124 | #1359 |
| 2011 | 147 | #1198 |
| 2010 | 119 | #1399 |
| 2009 | 159 | #1148 |
| 2008 | 145 | #1211 |
| 2007 | 108 | #1477 |
| 2006 | 99 | #1519 |
| 2005 | 75 | #1752 |
| 2004 | 60 | #1989 |
| 2003 | 60 | #1936 |
| 2002 | 59 | #1888 |
| 2001 | 72 | #1629 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kenji a popular boy name?
Kenji ranked #945 among boys in 2025 with 249 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1406.
When was the name Kenji most popular?
Kenji peaked in 2022, when 337 American boys received the name (ranked #754 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Kenji?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 7,229 newborn American boys was named Kenji. It scores 62/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.