Declining since 2017, #9,714 for boys today.
Popularity of Kento since 1984
Babies named Kento per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 12 |
| 1990s | 131 |
| 2000s | 122 |
| 2010s | 185 |
| 2020s | 74 |
Meaning & origin
Kento is a Japanese given name that entered U.S. naming records in 1984, but it was not until the 2010s that it began to see noticeable use. The name reached its highest U.S. rank of 9714 in 2018, with 1 in every 244,011 newborns receiving the name that year. Since 2017, its popularity has been gradually declining, yet it remains a distinctive choice for families seeking a Japanese name with a modern feel. The name has been recorded in the United States for over four decades, first appearing in the mid-1980s, and while it has never cracked the top 1000, its presence reflects the broader trend of international names entering American culture. No U.S. state has ranked Kento among its most popular names, indicating its scattered but consistent use nationwide.
The name Kento is a Japanese given name with speculative etymology. It may be formed from the kanji 健 (ken, 'healthy, strong') and 人 (to, 'person'), yielding a meaning like 'healthy person'. Alternative combinations exist, such as 賢人 (ken, 'wise' + jin, 'person') or 堅人 (ken, 'firm' + jin). Its use in Japan dates back several decades, and it gained modest popularity in the 2010s, partly through global exposure via media.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ken, Ken-chan
Sibling names for Kento
Names that share Kento's style, for a brother or sister.
