How to say it
KEN · neth
/ˈkɛn.ɪθ/
Masculine
Kenneth
Born of fire, or handsome
What it means
An anglicized blend of two Gaelic names, Cinaed ('born of fire') and Coinneach ('handsome, fair').
Kenneth is the English form of two old Gaelic names that collapsed together, Cinaed, 'born of fire,' and Coinneach, 'comely' or 'fair.' Kenneth MacAlpin is remembered as the first king to unite the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. It was a 20th-century staple on both sides of the Atlantic, and it still hands you the easygoing shorts Ken and Kenny.
Popularity over time
peaked at #13 in 1939, currently #294 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Ken and Kenny are the standard shorts.
- Spelling
Merges two distinct Gaelic names, one meaning 'born of fire,' the other 'handsome.'
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Kenneth MacAlpin 9th-century king regarded as the first King of Scots
- Kenneth Branagh Northern Irish actor and director
Spelling variants
- Kennith
- Cináed
- Coinneach
Names with the same feeling
See Kenneth from another angle
By meaning
By style