Declining since 2013, #594 for boys today.
Popularity of Kolton since 1982
Babies named Kolton per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 181 |
| 1990s | 2,308 |
| 2000s | 4,003 |
| 2010s | 7,218 |
| 2020s | 3,459 |
Meaning & origin
Kolton first appeared in U.S. records in 1982 and saw a steady rise through the late 1990s and 2000s, reaching its peak rank of 278 in 2012. Since 2013, its popularity has been falling; as of 2025, it ranks 594, with roughly 1 in 3,493 newborn boys receiving the name. The spelling variant Kolton has been most popular in Maine, Hawaii, and Kentucky. Modern coinages with the trendy '-ton' ending have become a fixture of American baby naming, and Kolton offers an alternative to its more common predecessor, Colton.
Kolton is a respelling of the English surname Colton, which derives from several places named Colton in England. The place name comes from Old English 'col' meaning 'coal' and 'tun' meaning 'settlement' or 'town', thus 'coal town'. As a given name, it emerged in modern American usage, likely influenced by the popularity of surnames as first names and the -ton suffix trend.
Where Kolton is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kol, Kolt
Sibling names for Kolton
Names that share Kolton's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Kolton
Names whose popularity has moved with Kolton's over the last 50 years.
