Kenny

Kenny: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“handsome”
Origin
Scottish Gaelic
Say it
KEN-ee · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys

Usually a diminutive of Kenneth. Kenneth comes from the Gaelic name Cináed; the traditional meaning 'handsome' reflects one common interpretation, though the original etymology is debated.

How popular is Kenny?

202447.0 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Kenny in 2024155

2024 rank#1,352 boys

Peak year1960

Total US babies since 188052,319

Kenny is fading: recent use is about 58% of its level ten years before.

Names like Kenny

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Kennethborn of fire · Scottish Gaelic
  • Kenhandsome; born of fire · Scottish Gaelic
  • Kennithhandsome · Scottish Gaelic
  • Loganlittle hollow · Scottish Gaelic
  • Cameroncrooked nose · Scottish Gaelic
  • IanGod is gracious · Scottish Gaelic
  • Carsonson of Carr · Scottish Gaelic
  • Callumdove · Scottish Gaelic

Kenny questions

What does the name Kenny mean?

Kenny means "handsome". It comes from Scottish Gaelic. Usually a diminutive of Kenneth. Kenneth comes from the Gaelic name Cináed; the traditional meaning 'handsome' reflects one common interpretation, though the original etymology is debated.

Is Kenny a boy or girl name?

Kenny is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Kenny?

155 US babies were named Kenny in 2024. Its peak year was 1960.

How do you pronounce Kenny?

Kenny is usually pronounced KEN-ee.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.