Kenric
A regal Germanic masculine name meaning "brave ruler" or "powerful leader".
Name Census estimates that about 871 living Americans carry the first name Kenric. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kenric today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kenric births was 1976 (61 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kenric. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
871
~ 1 in 393,518 Americans
Peak year
1976
61 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2023 SSA rank
#6,722
Tracked since 1946
Popularity
Kenric: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kenric from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 420 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kenric by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kenric during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kenrics live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas recorded the most babies named Kenric, while South Carolina, California, Alabama recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kenric
The name Kenric has its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically Old English and Old Norse. It is a compound name formed by combining the elements "cen" or "ken," meaning "bold" or "brave," and "ric," meaning "ruler" or "power." The name can be translated to mean "brave ruler" or "bold leader."
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kenric date back to the 7th century in Anglo-Saxon England. It was a common name among the nobility and ruling classes of that era, reflecting the warrior culture and the emphasis placed on valor and leadership qualities.
One of the earliest known historical figures bearing the name Kenric was Cenric, a 7th-century king of the West Saxons, who reigned from around 647 to 661 AD. Another notable figure was Kenric of Northumbria, a prince and heir to the Northumbrian throne in the late 7th century.
In later centuries, the name Kenric continued to be used, albeit with varying spellings such as Kenrick, Kendrick, and Kendric. One notable bearer of the name was Kenric of Winchester, a 10th-century bishop and scholar who was renowned for his learning and his contributions to the education of the clergy.
In the medieval period, the name Kenric was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes anglicized as Hendry or Henry. One example is Kenric of Strathearn, a 12th-century Scottish nobleman who was known for his involvement in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Moving forward in time, a notable figure bearing the name Kenric was Kenric Trenholme (1865-1933), a Canadian historian and academic who served as the principal of the University of Brunswick in the early 20th century.
Another individual worth mentioning is Kenric Russell (1912-1992), an American actor and singer who appeared in numerous Broadway productions and Hollywood films during the mid-20th century.
Overall, the name Kenric has a rich historical background, reflecting the valor and leadership qualities that were highly valued in the Germanic and Anglo-Saxon cultures from which it originated.
People
Kenric + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kenric as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kenric: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kenric?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 871 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kenric going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 393,518 US residents.
Is Kenric a common name?
We classify Kenric as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 939 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kenric most popular?
The single biggest year for Kenric was 1976, when 61 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kenric is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kenric a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kenric in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.