UK boy's name
Kent
A masculine name of English origin derived from the county Kent, meaning "corner land".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kent is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kent popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3959, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 6 births.
This profile covers 82 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 1996 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 67% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 94 living people in the UK are called Kent. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kent ranked #3959 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 6 boys were registered as Kent.
- • Kent ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #259 in 1979.
- • About 94 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kent as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3959
2018
Births in 2018
4
Latest year
Peak year
1996
6 births
Estimated living
94
2026
Meaning
What does Kent mean?
The name Kent is derived from the Old English word "Cent" or "Cant", which means a coastal district or county. It is believed to have originated as a geographical name referring to the southeastern county of Kent in England, known for its picturesque coastline along the English Channel.
Kent has been a popular name in England for centuries, and it is likely that some of the earliest bearers of this name were residents or originated from the county of Kent. The name gained wider popularity during the Middle Ages, and it is mentioned in various historical records and documents from this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kent can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This suggests that the name was in use in England before the Norman Conquest.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kent. One of the most famous was Kent Clark, an American actor and singer born in 1919, who appeared in numerous films and television shows during the mid-20th century. He is best known for his portrayal of Superman in the 1948 film serial "Superman."
Another prominent figure was Kent Hughes, an American evangelical Christian pastor, author, and speaker born in 1942. He served as the senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, and authored several books on Christian living and ministry.
In the realm of sports, Kent Hrbek was a notable American baseball player who played for the Minnesota Twins from 1981 to 1994. Born in 1960, he was a key member of the team that won the 1987 and 1991 World Series championships.
Kent Rollins, an American chemist and entrepreneur born in 1915, is also worth mentioning. He co-founded the Dow Chemical Company and played a significant role in the development of various chemical products and processes.
Last but not least, Kent Andersson was a Swedish football player born in 1942, who represented Sweden in the 1970 and 1974 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He played as a midfielder and is considered one of the greatest Swedish players of his era.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Kent, showcasing its enduring popularity and rich historical significance across various fields and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kent over time
The chart below shows babies named Kent registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kent, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2018, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kent by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kent was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3884 | 30 | 7 |
| 2000s | #3018 | 35 | 8 |
| 1990s | #1879 | 17 | 3 |
Geography
Where Kent is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kent. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Kent ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #259 in 1979.
Across the UK
Kent in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#259 in 1979
1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#414 in 2022
3 years of NISRA records, 9 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Kent
-
Kent Deng
economist; historian; university teacher; reader
British historian
2000-
-
Kent Riley
actor; television actor
British actor
1988-
-
Kent North
actor; pornographic actor
British pornographic film actor (1971-2007)
1971-2007
-
Kent Brewster
novelist; science fiction writer
American writer
1961-
-
Kent G. Lightfoot
university teacher; archaeologist; anthropologist
American anthropologist
1953-
-
Kent Matthews
economist
economist (Cardiff University)
1952-
-
Kent E. Brower
biblical scholar
British biblical scholar (1946-)
1946-
-
Kent J. Rigsby
historian
epigraphist
1945-
Related
Names similar to Kent
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kent: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kent in the UK right now?
In 2018, Kent was ranked #3959 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Kent most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 6 babies registered as Kent in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kent?
A masculine name of English origin derived from the county Kent, meaning "corner land".
How many people are called Kent in the UK?
A total of 82 babies have been registered as Kent across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland and 9 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Kent most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kent ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #259 in 1979. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.