Kensington means Cynesige's settlement — from the Old English. Kensington IS London's most prestigious neighbourhood — Kensington Palace IS the royal residence. Kensington Gardens IS one of London's most beautiful parks. Four syllables of London's-most-prestigious, the royal-palace, and London's-most-beautiful-gardens.
Old English Cynesige + tun (settlement)→Kensington
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Modern American roots
Kensington IS London's most prestigious. Kensington Palace IS royal. The Gardens ARE London's most beautiful.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Old English; Kensington, London.
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Today
Kensington remains a beloved choice, ranking #1674 in the US. 3,050 babies have been named Kensington since 1997.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Kensington?
2015peak year
Kensington first appears in the U.S. registration record in 1997. Its popularity climbed over the following decades. In 2015, 278 babies received the name (ranked #974). Today it sits well outside the top 1,000 (around #1674), with roughly 171 babies named Kensington each year. Kensington has been declining in recent years. In total, around 3,050 babies have been registered with this name since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Kensington's Life Path 8 is the achiever's number — royal-palace achievement. People named Kensington tend to be regal, prestigious, and gifted at being London's most prestigious name.
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