Fun Facts About the Name Kingston
- More than 46 thousand babies named Kingston: U.S. records list 46,546 babies given the name Kingston from 1880 through 2025. Even 193 girls received the name Kingston - about 1 girl for every 240 boys.
What Does the Name Kingston Mean?
Kingston is an English name meaning "king's town" or "king's estate." It comes from Old English cyning, "king," and tūn, "town, settlement, or enclosed estate." In place-name formation the first element often appears in the genitive cyninges, giving the literal sense "the king's settlement." The element tūn originally referred to an enclosure or estate and only later came to mean a town in the modern sense.
Kingston Name History & Origins
Kingston originated in England as a place name. Several English settlements were called Kingston because they were royal estates or were associated with a king. Kingston upon Thames, historically in Surrey, is one early example; it was a royal estate by the River Thames and is associated with the coronation of Anglo-Saxon kings, including Æthelstan in 925. Kingston upon Hull, originally a settlement called Wyke, became Kingston upon Hull after receiving a royal charter in 1299. Other places named Kingston, such as Kingston in Cambridgeshire and Kingston in Dorset, follow the same Old English naming pattern. In the Middle Ages, Kingston became a hereditary surname for people who came from one of these places.
As a first name, Kingston is a transferred use of that surname and place name. It is used in English-speaking countries, particularly as a masculine given name. The Jamaican capital, Kingston, founded in the late 17th century, uses the same "king's town" sense, but it is a separate place name and not the source of the English given name.
How Popular is the Name Kingston?
Kingston recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2021. Its best rank was #112 in 2021.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #14,370 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #12,823 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #11,745 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #8,731 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #10,718 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #10,143 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #7,257 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #11,179 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #6,788 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2015 | #9,832 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #9,873 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2013 | #9,337 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2012 | #11,788 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #9,454 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2010 | #10,149 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #11,103 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #9,802 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2007 | #11,261 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #204 | 1,725 | 0.1010% |
| 2024 | #178 | 2,081 | 0.1213% |
| 2023 | #142 | 2,527 | 0.1479% |
| 2022 | #129 | 2,916 | 0.1672% |
| 2021 | #112 | 3,404 | 0.1947% |
| 2020 | #117 | 3,181 | 0.1844% |
| 2019 | #117 | 3,288 | 0.1833% |
| 2018 | #117 | 3,379 | 0.1861% |
| 2017 | #132 | 3,085 | 0.1667% |
| 2016 | #132 | 3,148 | 0.1659% |
| 2015 | #142 | 2,969 | 0.1549% |
| 2014 | #159 | 2,601 | 0.1354% |
| 2013 | #190 | 2,130 | 0.1126% |
| 2012 | #210 | 1,778 | 0.0937% |
| 2011 | #228 | 1,579 | 0.0831% |
| 2010 | #214 | 1,676 | 0.0874% |
| 2009 | #225 | 1,612 | 0.0813% |
| 2008 | #241 | 1,535 | 0.0752% |
| 2007 | #355 | 893 | 0.0430% |
| 2006 | #930 | 203 | 0.0099% |
| 2005 | #1,610 | 85 | 0.0043% |
| 2004 | #2,064 | 58 | 0.0029% |
| 2003 | #2,454 | 43 | 0.0022% |
| 2002 | #2,987 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2001 | #2,841 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2000 | #2,781 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 1999 | #2,906 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #3,151 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1997 | #2,523 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 1996 | #3,486 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #3,260 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1994 | #4,424 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #6,011 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #4,024 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1991 | #3,934 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #5,207 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #6,612 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #5,479 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #3,640 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1986 | #5,679 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #4,946 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #5,999 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #5,893 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #6,043 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #5,750 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #4,015 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1977 | #4,888 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,301 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #3,502 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #4,217 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1951 | #2,957 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #3,514 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #4,014 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #3,043 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #3,559 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,328 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1940 | #2,769 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #3,794 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1931 | #4,066 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1921 | #3,113 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1919 | #4,495 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Kingston Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Kingston's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kingston's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.