King - A very unique male name
King at a glance
King is ranked #407 among boy baby names in 2025, with 756 births in 2025. It peaked in 2017 at #147 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2025
- #407
- Births in 2025
- 756
- Peak year
- 2017 (#147)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Trend
- #171 in 2020 → #407 in 2025 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 1,940 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.1/5 (7 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 1,940 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. King peaked in popularity 9 years ago in 2017 on position 147.
Famous with this name
Joey King
Stephen King
Candice King
How would you rate King, 1-5?
King is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? King is currently topping the baby name charts in Georgia at position #216 - and is the least popular in Washington at position #770.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique King is where you live.
Comment and discuss
King origin and meaning
English — word name
The English word king, 'male monarch', from Old English cyning
King has been used sporadically as a given name since the early 1900s but rose sharply as a bold title name in the 2010s, peaking in 2017. It has fallen quickly since, from #171 in 2020 to #407 in 2025.
Attested etymology
King is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.
To see famous people named King, pop culture references for the name King and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to King
We've found the following names that sound similar to King, sorted by popularity.
Knox / Kenzo / Kenji / Kyng / Kong / Khang / Kinnick / Kamazi / Keng / Kenichi /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 407 |
| 2024 | 343 |
| 2023 | 265 |
| 2022 | 222 |
| 2021 | 185 |
| 2020 | 171 |
| 2019 | 158 |
| 2018 | 149 |
| 2017 | 147 |
| 2016 | 153 |
| 2015 | 163 |
| 2014 | 175 |
| 2013 | 193 |
| 2012 | 257 |
| 2011 | 387 |
| 2010 | 396 |
| 2009 | 456 |
| 2008 | 713 |
| 2007 | 737 |
| 2006 | 871 |
| 2005 | 1151 |
| 2004 | 1818 |
| 2003 | 1611 |
| 2002 | 2206 |
| 2001 | 1661 |
| 2000 | 2003 |
| 1999 | 2573 |
| 1998 | 2144 |
| 1997 | 2386 |
| 1996 | 2230 |
| 1995 | 2676 |
| 1994 | 1759 |
| 1992 | 2198 |
| 1991 | 1887 |
| 1990 | 1980 |
| 1988 | 2012 |
| 1986 | 2161 |
| 1985 | 2001 |
| 1984 | 2442 |
| 1983 | 1597 |
| 1982 | 1485 |
| 1981 | 1490 |
| 1980 | 1571 |
| 1979 | 1453 |
| 1978 | 2191 |
| 1975 | 1495 |
| 1974 | 1974 |
| 1972 | 1366 |
| 1971 | 1309 |
| 1969 | 1750 |
| 1968 | 1691 |
| 1967 | 1473 |
| 1966 | 1271 |
| 1964 | 1079 |
| 1963 | 1033 |
| 1962 | 1054 |
| 1960 | 990 |
| 1959 | 961 |
| 1958 | 1317 |
| 1957 | 1088 |
| 1956 | 1053 |
| 1955 | 1122 |
| 1954 | 895 |
| 1953 | 917 |
| 1952 | 811 |
| 1951 | 786 |
| 1950 | 686 |
| 1949 | 817 |
| 1948 | 707 |
| 1947 | 709 |
| 1946 | 749 |
| 1945 | 653 |
| 1944 | 730 |
| 1943 | 677 |
| 1942 | 591 |
| 1941 | 723 |
| 1940 | 670 |
| 1939 | 604 |
| 1938 | 622 |
| 1937 | 664 |
| 1936 | 635 |
| 1935 | 958 |
| 1934 | 634 |
| 1933 | 682 |
| 1932 | 784 |
| 1931 | 664 |
| 1930 | 628 |
| 1929 | 627 |
| 1928 | 688 |
| 1927 | 758 |
| 1926 | 586 |
| 1925 | 644 |
| 1924 | 636 |
| 1923 | 635 |
| 1922 | 659 |
| 1921 | 677 |
| 1920 | 564 |
| 1919 | 509 |
| 1918 | 669 |
| 1917 | 591 |
| 1916 | 551 |
| 1915 | 511 |
| 1914 | 572 |
| 1913 | 536 |
| 1912 | 423 |
| 1911 | 560 |
| 1910 | 323 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 216 |
| South Carolina | 237 |
| Maryland | 261 |
| Florida | 299 |
| North Carolina | 322 |
| Virginia | 337 |
| Missouri | 342 |
| Louisiana | 347 |
| Texas | 351 |
| Michigan | 385 |
| Ohio | 386 |
| Illinois | 391 |
| Kentucky | 391 |
| Mississippi | 393 |
| New York | 413 |
| Connecticut | 419 |
| New Jersey | 424 |
| Pennsylvania | 433 |
| California | 458 |
| Tennessee | 467 |
| Alabama | 472 |
| Arizona | 477 |
| Nevada | 486 |
| Minnesota | 496 |
| Arkansas | 524 |
| Massachusetts | 537 |
| Utah | 595 |
| Colorado | 598 |
| Indiana | 604 |
| Wisconsin | 657 |
| Oklahoma | 666 |
| Washington | 770 |
Even more about King
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is King a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name King?
1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
KING · /kɪŋ/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Famous bearers
None yet — no bearer for this name is documented well enough for us to list, so we show none rather than pad the list.
Style
Word nameRoyal
Why parents choose it
Parents choose it for confidence and presence — a short name that makes a statement.
Worth knowing
- As a title-word it can read as grandiose, and it is also a very common surname, so it is often mistaken for one.
