How to say it
KING
/kɪŋ/
Masculine
King
King, ruler
What it means
An English word name from king, the male sovereign, from Old English cyning.
King is a word name lifted straight from the title of a male sovereign, from Old English cyning. It belongs to the bold, aspirational word-name set with Saint, Legend, and Messiah, declaring its meaning outright. It has climbed sharply since the 2010s, strong in Black families, and also exists as a surname (B.B. King, Martin Luther King). Regal and unmistakable.
Popularity over time
peaked at #147 in 2017, currently #405 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
- Pop culture
A bold aspirational word name alongside Legend, Saint, and Messiah; also a surname (B.B. King, MLK).
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.
- King the regal word the name is taken from
Spelling variants
- Kyng
- Kingston
Names with the same feeling
See King from another angle
By meaning
By style