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Home › Baby Names Directory › Kingston

Kingston

♀ Girl

Pronounced KING-stun /ˈkɪŋ.stən/High

Meaning: Kingston is an English place name and surname from Old English cyning ('king') and tun ('farmstead; settlement') — 'the king's estate'. It is also the capital of Jamaica. As a given name it is overwhelmingly a boy's name in the U.S.; its use for a girl is uncommon, and the lean is strong, which we note.Medium

In 30 seconds: A place name with a crown: Kingston is Old English for 'the king's estate' (said 'KING-stun'). Strongly a boy's name — we note the lean clearly.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningKingston is an English place name and surname from Old English cyning ('king') and tun ('farmstead; settlement') — 'the king's estate'. It is also the capital of Jamaica. As a given name it is overwhelmingly a boy's name in the U.S.; its use for a girl is uncommon, and the lean is strong, which we note.
U.S. rank (2024)#14370 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2016
Total births (all-time)≈ 193

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201620072024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kingston comes from Old English cyning ('king') and tun ('farmstead; settlement') — an estate held by the crown. The name is attached to many English places and to Kingston, Jamaica, which gives it a strong musical and Caribbean association too. As an American given name it rose in the 2000s and is overwhelmingly given to boys; its use for a girl is a distinctly minority choice, and we note that lean plainly (said 'KING-stun').

For girls it appears only rarely in the U.S., against much heavier boys' use. Rare for girls, place-name bold, surname-style.

Did you know? Kingston is scattered across the English-speaking world — dozens of English villages, plus the capital of Jamaica. As a given name it is strongly a boy's name in the U.S., which we note clearly (said 'KING-stun').
Overall data confidence 55%
References — Kingston — Old English cyning + tun; English place name; Kingston, Jamaica; strongly male in U.S. use

Variations

KingstenKingstynKinston

Nicknames

KingKingsyKit

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kingston…

Kensington— a like grand English place name
Addison— a like surname-style name used for girls
Harlow— a like place-flavored modern pick
Remington— a like long -ton surname name

Explore names like Kingston

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kingston mean?

Kingston is Old English for 'the king's farmstead or estate', from cyning ('king') and tun ('settlement'). It is also the capital of Jamaica.

How do you pronounce Kingston?

It's said KING-stun /ˈkɪŋ.stən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Kingston a boy or girl name?

Kingston is strongly a boy's name in the U.S. Its use for a girl is uncommon, and we note that lean clearly.

How popular is Kingston?

Kingston is very rare for girls in the U.S. and considerably more common for boys.

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