boy's name
King
KING
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 39,236
the United States
#405
2025 births
King is a boy's name taken from the English title, from the Old English cyning. As a surname it rarely meant an actual king — it marked someone who played one in a pageant, or served in a royal household, or simply carried himself like one.
- King is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2017, when 2,705 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,218 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
King over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 229 |
| 1890s | 233 |
| 1900s | 277 |
| 1910s | 795 |
| 1920s | 1,003 |
| 1930s | 801 |
| 1940s | 818 |
| 1950s | 708 |
| 1960s | 459 |
| 1970s | 316 |
| 1980s | 335 |
| 1990s | 439 |
| 2000s | 1,950 |
| 2010s | 20,465 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 9,062 |
What King means
King names a monarch, from the Old English cyning, built on a root meaning kin or family — a king was originally the man of the kindred rather than a ruler by office.
Where King comes from
King comes from the Old English cyning, from cyn, a family or kindred, with a suffix meaning belonging to — so the word begins as the man of the people rather than the holder of a throne. As a surname it is a nickname: medieval England gave it to men who played the king in a mystery play or a summer pageant, who worked in a royal household, or who behaved with unusual grandeur. Martin Luther King Jr. gave the name enormous weight in American use, and it belongs with Legend, Messiah and Royalty among status words used as given names. It appears in our records in every year from 1880.
King in use
King appears in our records from 1880 and charts in only four of the seven countries we track.
How popular is King?
In 2025, King was given to 786 babies in the United States, ranking #405 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where King is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside King
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like King also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with King over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
King in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for King
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with King — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about King
What does the name King mean?
A monarch, from the Old English cyning — built on cyn, a kindred, so originally the man of the people.
Did the surname King mean someone was royal?
Almost never. It was a nickname for someone who played a king in a pageant, worked in a royal household, or acted grandly.
Is King a boy's or a girl's name?
It is given almost entirely to boys.
How popular is the name King?
In 2025, King was given to 786 babies in the United States, ranking #405 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in King?
King has 1 syllable.
When was King most popular?
King peaked in 2017, when 2,705 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is King a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. King currently ranks #405 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.