boy's name
Kingston
KING-stən
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 50,213
the United States
#204
2025 births
Kingston is a boy's name of Old English origin meaning "the king's settlement." It named land held directly by the crown, and is one of the most common place names in England for exactly that reason.
- Kingston is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2021, when 3,422 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,922 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1919.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kingston over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 |
| 1920s | 9 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1940s | 31 |
| 1950s | 19 |
| 1960s | 7 |
| 1970s | 28 |
| 1980s | 61 |
| 1990s | 190 |
| 2000s | 4,560 |
| 2010s | 25,770 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,909 |
What Kingston means
Kingston means the king's farmstead or estate. It was an administrative description — land in royal ownership — rather than a claim about anyone living there.
Where Kingston comes from
Kingston combines the Old English cyning, a king, with tun, an enclosure or farmstead, and described a manor held by the crown. Because royal holdings were spread across the country, there are dozens of Kingstons in England, including Kingston upon Thames, where seven Anglo-Saxon kings were crowned. Families took the surname from whichever they came from. Its modern use as a first name is American and Jamaican, helped by Kingston, the Jamaican capital, itself named for a British king.
Kingston in use
Our data shows Kingston peaking in 2021 and still rising, at 204 in the United States against 2,037 in England and Wales. It first appears in our records in 1919. That ten-fold gap is notable given the name is English in origin — a pattern shared with Beckham, Hayes and Colter.
How popular is Kingston?
In 2025, Kingston was given to 1,725 babies in the United States, ranking #204 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Kingston 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 Kingston
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Kingston also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kingston over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Kingston
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Kingston 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.
- West Frisian
- King
Sibling names for Kingston
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Kingston — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Kingston
What does the name Kingston mean?
Kingston means "the king's settlement," from the Old English cyning, king, and tun, a farmstead.
Why are there so many Kingstons?
It described any manor held by the crown, and royal holdings were spread across the country.
Is Kingston in Jamaica named after a king?
Yes — the city was founded in 1692 and named for the reigning British monarch.
How popular is the name Kingston?
In 2025, Kingston was given to 1,725 babies in the United States, ranking #204 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Kingston a girl's or a boy's name?
Kingston is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kingston?
Kingston has 2 syllables.
When was Kingston most popular?
Kingston peaked in 2021, when 3,422 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Kingston?
Kingston is usually shortened to King.
Is Kingston a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kingston currently ranks #204 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.