Kenneth vs Khalid
Kenneth and Khalidcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #968 and Khalid #313 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2021, Kenneth was ranked #475 and Khalid #437 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #535 and Khalid #727 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Kenneth was ranked #785 and Khalid #655 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Kenneth and Khalid over time
Kenneth and Khalid appear together in 3 published lists, across 111 years of shared records. Kenneth held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Khalid in 1.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Kenneth reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Khalid in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
Kenneth and Khalid were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 66 years, from 1949 to 2021, ending at #475 and #437.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Kenneth #130 in 1998, Khalid #330 in 1999.
List by list
Norway · Boys66 shared years, 1949–2021
Kenneth held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Khalid in 11.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #10 in 1979, Khalid #268 in 1967.
The order changed in 2017: Khalid moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #390 and #391; by 2017 that had become #506 and #319.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Kenneth #475, Khalid #437.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Khalid in 25.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #345 in 1996, Khalid #301 in 2023.
The order changed in 2000: Khalid moved ahead. In 1999 they stood at #375 and #426; by 2000 that had become #430 and #346.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #968, Khalid #313.
Republic of Ireland · Boys16 shared years, 1997–2024
Kenneth held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Khalid in 3.
Highest recorded here: Kenneth #130 in 1998, Khalid #330 in 1999.
The order changed in 2020: Khalid moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #369 and #520; by 2020 that had become #637 and #637.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kenneth #785, Khalid #655.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Kenneth | Khalid |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | An Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed, of Scottish Gaelic origin. Borne by the Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin, who united the Scots and Picts in the 9th century. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɛn.əθ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #535 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #372 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kenneth has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic); Khalid does not have one recorded yet.
- Kenneth and Khalid both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Kenneth; Khalid doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Kenneth
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #303 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2021
Highest recorded position: #10 among boys in Norway, in 1979 (recorded 1945–2021).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #968 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Khalid
Popularity journey
First recorded1949
First recorded at #372 among boys in Norway in 1949 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1949–2025
Highest recorded position: #268 among boys in Norway, in 1967 (recorded 1949–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #468 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys