What does Kenji mean?
Kenji is written variously as “healthy, strong” or “wise” together with “rule” or “two.”
What does Ren mean?
Ren is often written with the kanji for “lotus” or “love,” depending on the characters.
Kenji vs Ren
Which is more popular?
Kenji is more popular than Ren today: about 249 US babies were given the name Kenji in 2025, compared with 213 named Ren.
| Kenji | Ren | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Strong; wise ruler | Lotus; love |
| Origin | Japanese | Japanese |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | KEN-jee | REN |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1913 | 1915 |
| Peak year | 2022 (337) | 2025 (213) |
| In 2025 | 249 | 213 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Kenji
Ren
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Kenji | Ren |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,692 | 1,101 |
| 2010s | 1,292 | 759 |
| 2000s | 889 | 280 |
| 1990s | 423 | 192 |
| 1980s | 359 | 201 |
| 1970s | 430 | 33 |
| 1960s | 104 | 65 |
| 1950s | 18 | 70 |
| 1940s | 23 | 59 |
| 1930s | 96 | 19 |
| 1920s | 213 | 22 |
| 1910s | 85 | 17 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kenji or Ren more popular?
Kenji is more popular than Ren today: about 249 US babies were given the name Kenji in 2025, compared with 213 named Ren.
What is the difference between Kenji and Ren?
Kenji means Strong; wise ruler (Japanese origin), while Ren means Lotus; love (Japanese origin).
Which name is older, Kenji or Ren?
In US records, Kenji first appears in 1913 and Ren in 1915, so Kenji has the longer recorded history.