Kenneth
born of fire or handsome (Scottish Gaelic via English)
Kenneth is a english / other boy name in the Philippines. In the civil registry as of May 2021 it is number 106, with 82,490 records. It has 2 syllables.
Origin and meaning
born of fire or handsome (Scottish Gaelic via English)
Derived from the Gaelic names Cináed and Cainnech, Kenneth was popularized across the Anglophone world in part through historical Scottish royalty and 19th-century literature. In the Philippines, it is a very common given name introduced through American influence and modern English naming trends, maintaining steady popularity across several decades.
Kenneth is an Anglicized form of two distinct Scottish Gaelic names: Cináed (meaning 'born of fire') and Cainnech (meaning 'handsome' or 'comely'). It became widely used in the English-speaking world and was adopted in the Philippines during the American colonial and post-war eras.
Name character
In the Philippines
Frequently shortened to 'Ken', 'Kenny', or the doubled Filipino diminutive 'Ken-ken'. Often paired in compound names such as Kenneth John, Mark Kenneth, or John Kenneth.
Related forms
- Coinneach Scottish Gaelic
- Ken English
Would your family give Kenneth?
Mark it if your family would give this first name. The count is for 2026 on this site. It is not the civil registry, and it is not babies registered in 2024. One browser can choose a name once in the year.
No family on this site has marked Kenneth for 2026 yet.
Kenneth with common surname pairs
Each pair is a mother's maiden surname plus a father's surname. The number is the sound-fit score for this first name.
Related boy names
About the name Kenneth
How do I use Kenneth with two Filipino surnames?
Kenneth is the given name. The full name is Kenneth + mother's maiden surname + father's surname. Score a pair from a combination page or the homepage search.
Is Kenneth a common boy name in the Philippines?
In the civil registry as of May 2021, Kenneth is number 106, with 82,490 records. That is not the 2024 birth list, and it does not say the name is a better choice. How it sounds with both family surnames is a separate score.