Kensey
An English variant of the name Kenzie, meaning "born of lofty descent".
Name Census estimates that about 904 living Americans carry the first name Kensey. It is a predominantly female name (99.5% of registrations). The average person named Kensey today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kensey births was 1996 (38 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kensey. 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
904
~ 1 in 379,153 Americans
Peak year
1996
38 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
1996 SSA rank
#9,819
Tracked since 1980
Gender
Gender distribution for Kensey
Out of the 925 babies given the name Kensey since 1880, 99.5% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Kensey as a male name
- Ranked #9,819 in 1996
- 5 male births in 1996
- Peak: 1996 (5 births)
Kensey as a female name
- Ranked #12,759 in 2024
- 7 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (38 births)
Popularity
Kensey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kensey from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 287 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kensey 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 Kensey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kenseys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Texas, North Carolina, California recorded the most babies named Kensey, while Florida, California, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kensey
The name Kensey is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "kene," meaning "bold" or "brave." It is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kensey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Chenesi." This historical document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented the landholdings and population of England at the time.
In the 13th century, the name Kensey was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls, a series of legal records from the royal court of England. These rolls contain references to individuals named Kensey who were involved in legal proceedings or transactions.
Throughout the centuries, the name Kensey has been associated with various notable figures. One such individual was Kensey Burrows (1604-1681), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somersetshire during the English Civil War.
Another notable bearer of the name was Kensey Dickenson (1745-1819), an American silversmith and patriot during the American Revolutionary War. He is known for crafting silver pieces adorned with patriotic symbols and motifs.
In the realm of literature, Kensey Barber (1875-1948) was an English poet and author who published several volumes of poetry and novels in the early 20th century. His works often explored themes of nature and the rural English countryside.
Moving into more recent times, Kensey Lyons (1914-1988) was an American artist renowned for her abstract expressionist paintings. Her works have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums across the United States.
Lastly, Kensey Crone (1940-2019) was a prominent Australian environmentalist and activist. She played a significant role in the conservation efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef and other natural habitats in Australia.
Throughout its history, the name Kensey has been associated with individuals who have displayed bravery, creativity, and a dedication to their respective fields of endeavor, reflecting the bold and courageous connotations of its Old English roots.
People
Kensey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kensey 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
Kensey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kensey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 904 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kensey 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 379,153 US residents.
Is Kensey a common name?
We classify Kensey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 925 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kensey most popular?
The single biggest year for Kensey was 1996, when 38 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kensey is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kensey a female name?
Yes, 99.5% of people registered as Kensey in the SSA data are female. 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.