Ken is a masculine

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a ...

of Scottish /

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

origin. It is used either as a given name or as a short form of names with the letters "Ken" (like

Kenneth Kenneth is an English given name and surname. The name is an Anglicised form of two entirely different Gaelic personal names: ''Cainnech'' and '' Cináed''. The modern Gaelic form of ''Cainnech'' is ''Coinneach''; the name was derived from a byn ...

Kenan Kenan (also spelled Qenan, Kaynan or Cainan) (; ar, كِنَاْنْ, Keynān; grc-x-biblical, Καϊνάμ, Kaïnám) is an Antediluvian patriarch first mentioned in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. In scriptures According to Gen ...

, Kendrick, Kendall, Kennedy, Mackenzie, Kenson, or Kenelm). Ken is also a

Japanese name in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expec ...

which can have many different meanings depending on the

kanji are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are still used, along with the subsequ ...

used.

People

Ken (musician) Ken (born November 28, 1968 in Maibara, Shiga, Japan) is a musician and singer-songwriter, best known as guitarist of the Japanese rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel. He is also the leader, vocalist and guitarist of Sons of All Pussys (also known as S.O ...

, Japanese musician *, Japanese author *

Ken Anderson (quarterback) Kenneth Allan Anderson (born February 15, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL), spending his entire career with the Cincinnati Bengals. He later returned as a ...

(born 1949), American quarterback * Ken Anderson (wrestler) aka Mr. Kennedy, American professional wrestler and actor * Ken Bowersox (born 1956), astronaut *

Ken Block Kenneth Paul Block (November 21, 1967 – January 2, 2023) was an American professional rally driver with the Hoonigan Racing Division, formerly known as the Monster World Rally Team. Block was also one of the co-founders of DC Shoes. He als ...

, American rally driver *

Ken Bruce Kenneth Robertson Bruce (born 2 February 1951) is a British broadcaster who is best known for hosting his long-running weekday mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2 from 1986 to 1990, and then again since 1992. Early life and career Bruce was born a ...

(born 1951), Scottish DJ *

Ken Buesseler Kenneth "Ken" Owen Buesseler (born 1959) is an American marine radiochemist. He is a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Education Buesseler studied biochemistry and cell biology at the University of California, San Dieg ...

(born 1959), American marine radiochemist *

Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV and/or th ...

(born 1953), American documentary filmmaker * Ken Barrie (born 1933 - 29th July 2016) Singer And The Voice Of The Children’s Character

Postman Pat ''Postman Pat'' is a British stop-motion animated television series first produced by Woodland Animations. The series follows the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman who works for Royal Mail postal service in the fictional village of Greendal ...

. *

Ken Caminiti Kenneth Gene Caminiti (April 21, 1963 – October 10, 2004) was an American third baseman who spent 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Houston Astros (1987–1994, 1999–2000), San Diego Padres (1995–1998), Texas Rangers ( ...

(1963–2004), Major League Baseball player * Ken Campbell (actor), English writer, actor, and director *

Ken Campbell (evangelist) Kenneth Livingstone Campbell (January 15, 1934 – August 28, 2006) was a Canadian fundamentalist Baptist evangelist and political figure. He was the final leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada from 1990 to 1993. Opposition to abortio ...

(1934–2006), Canadian evangelist * Ken Casey, bassist of the Boston Irish punk rock group Dropkick Murphys * Ken Chan, a Filipino actor * Ken Christianson, California based artist and musician, with art collective Elephant Empire * Ken Clark (actor) (1927–2009), American actor * Ken Davitian (born 1953), American film and TV actor *

Ken Dodd Sir Kenneth Arthur Dodd (8 November 1927 – 11 March 2018) was an English comedian, singer and occasional actor. He was described as "the last great music hall entertainer", and was primarily known for his live stand-up performances. A lifel ...

(1927–2018), English comedian * Ken Doherty (born 1969), Irish professional snooker player, commentator and radio presenter * Ken Dyer (1946–2010), American football player *

Ken Dryden Kenneth Wayne Dryden (born August 8, 1947) is a Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former National Hockey League (NHL) goaltender. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was a Liber ...

(born 1947), Canadian politician, lawyer, businessman, author, and former NHL goaltender *

Ken Flax Kenneth Flax (born April 20, 1963) is a retired American Olympic hammer thrower, whose personal best throw is 80.02 metres, achieved in May 1988 in Modesto. Flax was born in San Francisco, California, and is Jewish. Flax is a two-time Olympic ham ...

(born 1963), American Olympic hammer thrower *

Ken Follett Kenneth Martin Follett, (born 5 June 1949) is a British author of thrillers and historical novels who has sold more than 160 million copies of his works. Many of his books have achieved high ranking on best seller lists. For example, in the ...

(born 1949), British author of thrillers and historical novels * Ken Giles (born 1990), American baseball player *

Ken Griffey Sr. George Kenneth Griffey (born April 10, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from through , most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds dynasty that wo ...

(born 1950), American baseball player *

Ken Griffey Jr. George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (born November 21, 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "the Kid", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 22 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the Seattle M ...

(born 1969), American baseball player * Ken Ham (born 1951), Australian-born American creationist * Ken Harrelson (born 1941), Major League Baseball player and broadcaster *

Ken Harris Karyl Ross "Ken" Harris (July 31, 1898 – March 24, 1982) was an American animator best known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons under the supervision of director Chuck Jones. Life and career Ken Harris was born in Tulare County, Califor ...

(1898–1982), American animator *

Ken Hendricks Kenneth A. Hendricks (September 8, 1941 – December 21, 2007) was an American businessman who, along with Diane Hendricks, his business partner and wife, grew a shingle supply company into a $2.6 billion fortune and a spot on the Forbes 4 ...

, billionaire (1941–2007), president of Hendricks Group *

Ken Hirai is a Japanese R&B and pop singer. Since his debut, Hirai has worked as a model, actor, composer, lyricist, singer, and brand ambassador. During his career, Hirai has released 45 singles and nine studio albums as of January 2019.Ken Hoang (born 1985), American professional electronic sports player *

Ken Holtzman Kenneth Dale Holtzman (born November 3, 1945) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher from through , most notably as a member of the Chicago Cubs for whom he pitch ...

(born 1945), American Major League Baseball pitcher * , Japanese comedian * Ken Hughes (1922–2001), writer and director of films, including ''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' *

Ken Jennings Kenneth Wayne Jennings III (born May 23, 1974) is an American game show host, author, and former game show contestant. He is the highest-earning American game show contestant, having won money on five different game shows, including $4,522,70 ...

(born 1974), contestant on the game show ''Jeopardy!'' *

Ken Jeong Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong (, ; born July 13, 1969) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, producer, writer and licensed physician. He rose to prominence for playing Leslie Chow in ''The Hangover'' film series (2009–2013) and Ben Chang in the ...

(born 1969), American comedian, actor and former physician * Ken Kelley (American football) (born 1960), American football player * Ken Kelley (journalist) (1949–2008), American journalist and publisher *

Ken Kesey Ken Elton Kesey (September 17, 1935 – November 10, 2001) was an American novelist, essayist and countercultural figure. He considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. Kesey was born in ...

(1935–2001), novelist, author of ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' * Ken Kirby, Canadian-born actor and screenwriter *

(Ken Kitamura, born 1968), J-Pop member of bands L'Arc~en~Ciel and Sons of All Pussys * Ken Kratz (born 1960–61), American lawyer, former district attorney of

Calumet County, Wisconsin Calumet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,442. The county seat is Chilton. The county was created in 1836 (then in the Wisconsin Territory) and organized in 1850. Calumet ...

; law license was suspended for four months after sexting scandal *

Ken Kutaragi is a Japanese engineering technologist and businessman. He is the former chairman and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the video game division of Sony Corporation, and current president and CEO of Cyber AI Entertainment. He is known ...

(born 1950), President and CEO, later Chairman, of Sony Computer Entertainment * Ken Lay (1942–2006), CEO and Chairman of Enron *

Ken Labanowski Ken "Labo" Labanowski (קני לבנובסקי; born May 13, 1959) is an American-Israeli former basketball player. He played the forward position. He played for five seasons in the Israel Basketball Premier League. Biography Labanowski was from ...

(born 1959), American-Israeli basketball player *

Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is an English politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was abolished in 1986, and as Mayor of London from the creation of the office ...

, politician (born 1945), former mayor of London, UK * Ken Lloyd (born 1976), Japanese-British musician, vocalist and songwriter of Fake? and Oblivion Dust *

Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...

(born 1936), British film director *

Ken Lutz Ken Lutz (born December 11, 1965) is a former American football quarterback who played two seasons in the Arena Football League with the Columbus Thunderbolts and San Antonio Force. He first enrolled at Moorpark College before transferring to S ...

(born 1965), American football player * Ken Matthews (disambiguation), multiple people * Ken McAlister (born 1960), American football player * Ken McCarthy (born 1959), American activist, educator, entrepreneur and Internet commercialization pioneer * Ken McCarty (born 1958), American politician * Ken MacLeod (born 1954), Scottish science fiction writer * Ken McElroy (1934–1981), American unsolved murder victim and criminal *

Ken Messer Ken J. Messer (1931–2018) was a British watercolour painter and draughtsman. Ken Messer was born in Newport, South Wales, and was educated at the City of Oxford High School for Boys in Oxford, where he spent much of his time during his li ...

(1931–2018), British painter *

Ken Miyagishima Kenneth Daniel Gallegos Miyagishima (born May 15, 1963) is an American businessman and politician serving as the mayor of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Miyagishima took office in 2007. Early life and education Miyagishima was born in Biloxi, Mississi ...

(born 1963), American mayor * , Japanese freestyle skier *

Ken Morrish Ken Morrish (1919 – July 30, 2006), nicknamed "Mr. Highland Creek" was a Metro Toronto politician. He served the Scarborough, Ontario community as councillor, deputy Metro Toronto Chair and mayor of Scarborough. He is a descendant of the Mo ...

(1919–2006), former mayor of the city of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada * Ken Morrison (born 1931), English supermarket CEO *

Ken Murray (disambiguation) Kenneth Murray or Ken Murray may refer to: *Kenneth Murray (American football) (born 1998), American football linebacker *Kenneth Murray (archaeologist) (1903–1972), English archaeologist *Ken Murray (basketball) (1928–2008), American basketbal ...

, multiple people *

Ken Nomura is a drifting driver from Japan. He made his debut in the D1 Grand Prix in the 3rd round in 2001, driving the Blitz D1 Spec ER34 Skyline which he still drives. His nickname is Nomuken (のむけん) or Monkey Magic (as a reference to his compa ...

(born 1965), member of the drifting motorsport scene and of the D1 Grand Prix series * , Japanese car designer, creative director of Pininfarina, professor *

Ken Parrish Ken Parrish (born June 22, 1984) is a former American football punter. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at East Stroudsburg. Parrish has also been a member of the Philadelp ...

(born 1984), American football player * Ken Penders, American comic book writer * Ken Pettway (born 1964), American player of gridiron football *

Ken Pogue Kenneth Pogue (July 26, 1934 – December 15, 2015) was a Canadian actor. Career His first motion picture role in 1973 was in ''The Neptune Factor''. He almost drowned in scuba gear. He worked on stage at the Crest Theatre, Stratford Shakespea ...

, Canadian actor * Ken Ring (artist), Swedish rapper * Ken Robinson (disambiguation), multiple people *

Ken Rosewall Kenneth Robert Rosewall (born 2 November 1934) is an Australian former world top-ranking amateur and professional tennis player. He won a record 23 Majors in singles, including eight Grand Slam singles titles and, before the Open Era, a reco ...

(born 1934), Grand Slam tennis champion * Ken Rush (1931–2011), former NASCAR Cup Series driver *

Ken Russell Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was a British film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. His films in the main were liberal adaptation ...

(1927–2011), film director and actor * Ken Rutherford (cricketer) (born 1965), New Zealand cricketer *

Ken Saro-Wiwa Kenule Beeson "Ken" Saro-Wiwa (10 October 1941 – 10 November 1995) was a Nigerians, Nigerian writer, television producer, and environmental activist. Ken Saro-Wiwa was a member of the Ogoni people, an ethnic minority in Nigeria whose homelan ...

(1941–1995), writer and political activist *

Ken Schrader Kenneth Schrader (born May 29, 1955) is an American professional racing driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while also competing part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, driving the No. 11 Ford for Fast Tra ...

(born 1955), NASCAR driver *

Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Cha ...

(born 1964), American mixed martial artist and retired professional wrestler * , Japanese comedian, member of the Drifters * , Japanese male adult video (AV) actor *

Ken Singleton Kenneth Wayne Singleton (born June 10, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder and designated hitter from to , most prominently as a member ...

(born 1947), American Major League Baseball player and commentator * Ken Sio (born 1990), Australian Rugby League player *

Ken Smollen Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in t ...

, Chairman of the Irish Democratic Party * Ken Spears (born 1938), American cartoonist and film producer * Ken Spikes (1935–2009), former NASCAR Cup Series driver * Ken Spreitzer, computer programmer *

Ken Stott Kenneth Campbell Stott (born 19 October 1954) is a Scottish stage, television and film actor who won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1995 in the play '' Broken Glass'' at Royal National Theatre. He portrayed th ...

Scottish actor * , Japanese illustrator known for his work on the ''Pokémon'' video games * , Japanese film actor *

Ken Terrell Kenneth Jones Terrell (April 29, 1904 – March 8, 1966) was an American western and action film actor and stuntman best known for playing Joe Marcelli in the 1956 film ''Indestructible Man ''Indestructible Man'' is a 1956 American cri ...

(1904–1966), actor and stuntman * Ken Thaiday Snr, Torres Strait Islander/Australian artist *

Ken Thompson Kenneth Lane Thompson (born February 4, 1943) is an American pioneer of computer science. Thompson worked at Bell Labs for most of his career where he designed and implemented the original Unix operating system. He also invented the B programmi ...

(born 1943), American computer scientist and one of the primary creators of Unix *

Ken Tyrrell Robert Kenneth Tyrrell (3 May 1924 – 25 August 2001) was a British Formula Two racing driver and the founder of the Tyrrell Formula One constructor.Setright, L. J. K. "Tyrrell: A Shrewd Talent-spotter", in Northey, Tom, ed. ''World of Autom ...

(1924–2001), founder of the Formula One team Tyrrell Racing * Ken Uehara (1909–1991), Japanese film actor *

Ken Wahl Ken Wahl (born October 31, 1957) is a retired American film and television actor, popular in the 1980s and 1990s, best known for the CBS television crime drama '' Wiseguy''. Early life and career Wahl, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, Note: ...

(born 1954), American actor * Ken Waldichuk (born 1998), American baseball player * , Japanese comedian and television presenter * , Japanese theater, TV, and film actor * Ken Webster (disambiguation), multiple people * Ken Whyld (1926–2003), British chess player and author * Ken Winey (born 1962), Canadian football player *

Ken Zheng Ken Zheng (born April 5, 1995) is an Indonesian actor and martial arts, martial artist. He began his career as a martial artist at a young age, and has since starred in ''Brush with Danger'' (2014) and an action thriller entitled ''Insight (2021 ...

(born April 5, 1995) is an Indonesian actor, screenwriter and martial artist

Fictional characters

*, a character in ''

Persona 3 released outside Japan as ''Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3'', is a 2006 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It is the fourth main installment in the ''Persona'' series, which is part of the larger ''Megami Tensei'' franchise. Atlus orig ...

'' *

Ken (Barbie) Kenneth Sean Carson is a fashion doll and fictional character invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by American toy company Mattel in 1961 as the counterpart of Barbie, who was introduced two years earlier. Ken was named after Kenneth Handle ...

also known as Ken Carson, toy doll * Ken Barlow, character in the British TV soap opera ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Orig ...

'' *

Ken Cosgrove This is a list of fictional characters in the television series ''Mad Men'', all of whom have appeared in multiple episodes. Overview ;Cast notes: * Maxwell Huckabee and Aaron Hart have split the role of Bobby Draper in the first season, whil ...

, a fictional character in the US television series, ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its f ...

'' * or Ken, hero of the manga and anime series ''

Fist of the North Star is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and illustrated by Tetsuo Hara. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' for 245 issues published from 1983 to 1988 and initially collected in 27 ' ...

'' * or Ken, main character of the manga and anime series ''

Rurouni Kenshin is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The story begins during the 11th year of the Meiji period in Japan (1878) and follows a former assassin from the Bakumatsu, known as Hitokiri Battosai. After his wor ...

'' *, a character in the '' Juken Sentai Gekiranger'' *, a character in ''

Chikyu Sentai Fiveman is a Japanese Tokusatsu television series. It was Toei Company's fourteenth installment of the ''Super Sentai'' metaseries. It aired on TV Asahi from March 2, 1990 to February 8, 1991, with a total of 48 episodes. The name given by Toei for inte ...

'' *, a character in the anime series ''

Digimon , short for "Digital Monsters" ( ''Dejitaru Monsutā''), is a Japanese media franchise encompassing virtual pet toys, anime, manga, video games, films and a trading card game. The franchise focuses on the eponymous creatures, who inhabit a ...

'' * Ken Joshima (城島犬), a character in the anime series ''

Reborn! ''Reborn!'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Akira Amano. It follows Tsunayoshi Sawada, a young boy who discovers that he is next in line to become boss of the Vongola family, a powerful Mafia organ ...

'' *, main character of the manga and anime series ''

Tokyo Ghoul is a Japanese dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Sui Ishida. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''seinen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Young Jump'' between September 2011 and September 2014, and was collected in fou ...

'' *, a character in ''

Initial D is a Japanese street racing manga series written and illustrated by Shuichi Shigeno. It was serialized in Kodansha's '' seinen'' manga magazine '' Weekly Young Magazine'' from 1995 to 2013, with the chapters collected into 48 ' ...

'' *Ken Marks, a character in 1993 action/martial arts movie ''

Showdown A showdown is a duel. The term may also refer to: Places * Showdown Ski Area, in Montana, United States Books * ''Showdown'' (Amado novel), a 1984 novel by Jorge Amado * ''Showdown'' (Dekker novel), a 2006 novel by Ted Dekker * ''Showdown'' ( ...

'' *, character in the ''

Street Fighter , commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six ...

'' video games *, a character in the anime series '' Beyblade Burst'' *, character in the anime series '' Machine Robo Rescue'' *Ken Ryuguji also known as Draken, character in the anime series '' Tokyo Revenger'' *Ken Murphy, a character in the 2009 American romantic comedy-drama movie ''

He's Just Not That Into You ''He's Just Not That Into You'' is a self-improvement book written by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo that was published in 2004 and later adapted into a film by the same name in 2009. It was a New York Times bestseller and was featured on ''Th ...

'', Daphne Zuniga *

Ken Rosenberg ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fourth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2001's ''Grand Theft Auto III'', and the s ...

, a character in the ''

Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily d ...

'' video games *Ultraman Ken, better known as Father of Ultra, from the Ultraman Series; true name revealed in the film Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legend

People

Fictional characters

See also