Kanye

Boy name

Kanye has been given to 1,428 babies in the U.S. since 2002. It peaked in 2004. In 2025, about 1 in 341,615 boys was named Kanye.

Meaning & origin /ˈkɑnjeɪ/

Evidently from Igbo Kanye, although inspiration from other African languages may have contributed. The verb is a reference to Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift’s speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

1,428

Peak year

2004 (528 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

2002

10-year trend

▼ -81%

Gender split

2% girls / 98% boys

Spellings & variants

Names one letter away from Kanye — alternate spellings parents actually use.

Kaneboy

19,557 babies since 1953

Kayegirl

13,707 babies since 1901

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Kanye.

Thaiboy

1,426 babies since 1975

Tyshonboy

1,422 babies since 1973

Shreyasboy

1,422 babies since 1987

Treveonboy

1,421 babies since 1987

Aleksandarboy

1,437 babies since 1967

Weslyboy

1,439 babies since 1915

Breckinboy

1,415 babies since 1993

Tyrekeboy

1,442 babies since 1981

FAQ

How popular is the name Kanye?

Kanye has been given to 1,428 babies in the U.S. since 2002. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.

When did the name Kanye peak?

Kanye peaked in 2004, when 528 babies were given the name.

Is Kanye a girl or boy name?

Kanye is primarily a boy name (98% of babies named Kanye are boys).

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