Kenny is a name of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Cormac. It means "warlike" or "having a short nose." The name Kenny is also associated with the Irish sept of O'Kennedy, which was one of the most powerful and influential families in medieval Ireland.
The name Kenny has been used for centuries, but it gained popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century. Today, Kenny is still a popular given name for boys, although its usage has declined slightly in recent years.
One notable bearer of the name Kenny was Kenny Loggins, an American musician and songwriter who achieved fame in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the duo Loggins and Messina. Another famous Kenny is Ken Jennings, an American game show contestant known for his record-breaking streak on the TV game show Jeopardy!.
The name Kenny has been quite popular among parents in the United States over the past century, with its popularity fluctuating significantly throughout the decades.
In the early 20th century, there were relatively few births with the name Kenny each year. Between 1908 and 1925, there were only six years where more than ten babies were given this name at birth. However, starting in the late 1920s, the popularity of the name began to rise steadily.
From 1935 to 1967, Kenny was consistently one of the top 1000 names for newborn boys in the U.S., with a peak of 803 births in 1956 and 1423 births in 1958. This period saw a significant increase in popularity compared to previous decades.
However, after reaching its peak in the mid-1950s, the popularity of Kenny began to decline gradually over time. Between 1970 and 2022, there were only five years where more than 600 babies received this name at birth. The most recent data available shows that there were 160 births with the name Kenny in both 2022 and 2023.
Overall, over the past century, a total of 51,634 newborn boys have been named Kenny in the United States. Despite fluctuations in popularity over time, Kenny remains a classic and timeless choice for parents looking for a strong and distinctive name for their baby boy.