Kerry
- Gender
- Girl
- Origin
- English
- US rank, 2025
- #2,451 for boys
Kerry is a girls' name of English origin, meaning “descendant of Ciardha”. In 2025 it ranked 2,451st for boys in the US (55 babies).
What does Kerry mean?
English
“descendant of Ciardha”
A surname from Middle English derived from the place name, or from the Middle English given name Kendrick.
From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is Kerry a girl's or a boy's name?
Kerry is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 22 girls and 55 boys in the US.
How popular is Kerry in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1996, with 419 girls.
Half of all the girls named Kerry in the UK since 1996 were born between 1997 and 2004. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1974 (#31), 1984 (#35) and 1994 (#93).
Kerry in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | #4,907 |
| 2023 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | 0 | – |
| 2021 | 4 | #4,864 |
| 2020 | 5 | #4,110 |
| 2019 | 2 | #7,280 |
| 2018 | 6 | #3,702 |
| 2017 | 7 | #3,395 |
| 2016 | 11 | #2,510 |
| 2015 | 13 | #2,186 |
| 2014 | 7 | #3,321 |
| 2013 | 11 | #2,454 |
| 2012 | 14 | #2,103 |
| 2011 | 24 | #1,379 |
| 2010 | 28 | #1,229 |
| 2009 | 34 | #1,019 |
| 2008 | 47 | #798 |
| 2007 | 106 | #430 |
| 2006 | 69 | #572 |
| 2005 | 114 | #389 |
| 2004 | 152 | #306 |
| 2003 | 143 | #308 |
| 2002 | 174 | #264 |
| 2001 | 168 | #271 |
| 2000 | 176 | #259 |
| 1999 | 222 | #218 |
| 1998 | 283 | #174 |
| 1997 | 381 | #144 |
| 1996 | 419 | #121 |
How popular is Kerry in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,451among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 55about 1 in 31,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 5% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 55 boys in the US were named Kerry, making it the 2,451st most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,979th. Its busiest year was 1960, with 2,176 boys. It first appears in the records in 1921. 22 girls were also named Kerry in 2025 (5,553rd for girls).
Half of all the boys named Kerry in the US since 1880 were born between 1955 and 1973, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 29% of the babies named Kerry in the US were girls.
Kerry in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 55 | #2,451 |
| 2024 | 49 | #2,674 |
| 2023 | 35 | #3,345 |
| 2022 | 55 | #2,492 |
| 2021 | 42 | #2,917 |
| 2020 | 39 | #2,979 |
| 2019 | 43 | #2,850 |
| 2018 | 51 | #2,506 |
| 2017 | 57 | #2,294 |
| 2016 | 53 | #2,412 |
| 2015 | 62 | #2,189 |
| 2014 | 62 | #2,173 |
| 2013 | 71 | #1,941 |
| 2012 | 53 | #2,379 |
| 2011 | 61 | #2,144 |
| 2010 | 65 | #2,068 |
| 2009 | 70 | #1,989 |
| 2008 | 85 | #1,760 |
| 2007 | 87 | #1,721 |
| 2006 | 99 | #1,519 |
| 2005 | 120 | #1,281 |
| 2004 | 172 | #970 |
| 2003 | 112 | #1,268 |
| 2002 | 130 | #1,114 |
| 2001 | 142 | #1,034 |
| 2000 | 135 | #1,059 |
| 1999 | 150 | #959 |
| 1998 | 150 | #938 |
| 1997 | 188 | #786 |
| 1996 | 181 | #796 |
| 1995 | 206 | #745 |
| 1994 | 235 | #673 |
| 1993 | 296 | #598 |
| 1992 | 288 | #607 |
| 1991 | 414 | #487 |
| 1990 | 402 | #482 |
| 1989 | 409 | #465 |
| 1988 | 421 | #439 |
| 1987 | 409 | #436 |
| 1986 | 481 | #382 |
| 1985 | 525 | #351 |
| 1984 | 512 | #356 |
| 1983 | 383 | #418 |
| 1982 | 417 | #406 |
| 1981 | 418 | #398 |
| 1980 | 431 | #394 |
| 1979 | 462 | #373 |
| 1978 | 463 | #358 |
| 1977 | 540 | #334 |
| 1976 | 582 | #305 |
| 1975 | 646 | #294 |
| 1974 | 710 | #268 |
| 1973 | 681 | #272 |
| 1972 | 733 | #265 |
| 1971 | 878 | #253 |
| 1970 | 967 | #243 |
| 1969 | 976 | #235 |
| 1968 | 1,085 | #214 |
| 1967 | 1,123 | #206 |
| 1966 | 1,241 | #195 |
| 1965 | 1,471 | #177 |
| 1964 | 1,563 | #176 |
| 1963 | 1,724 | #170 |
| 1962 | 1,900 | #167 |
| 1961 | 2,027 | #161 |
| 1960 | 2,176 | #158 |
| 1959 | 1,703 | #178 |
| 1958 | 1,439 | #194 |
| 1957 | 1,747 | #175 |
| 1956 | 1,588 | #183 |
| 1955 | 1,601 | #174 |
| 1954 | 1,662 | #170 |
| 1953 | 1,264 | #194 |
| 1952 | 1,167 | #194 |
| 1951 | 1,183 | #191 |
| 1950 | 1,062 | #197 |
| 1949 | 926 | #210 |
| 1948 | 750 | #235 |
| 1947 | 704 | #248 |
| 1946 | 489 | #292 |
| 1945 | 310 | #339 |
| 1944 | 297 | #345 |
| 1943 | 211 | #429 |
| 1942 | 135 | #524 |
| 1941 | 120 | #541 |
| 1940 | 112 | #560 |
| 1939 | 87 | #629 |
| 1938 | 70 | #730 |
| 1937 | 65 | #757 |
| 1936 | 79 | #660 |
| 1935 | 110 | #548 |
| 1934 | 44 | #956 |
| 1933 | 19 | #1,586 |
| 1932 | 22 | #1,509 |
| 1931 | 20 | #1,589 |
| 1930 | 21 | #1,602 |
| 1929 | 15 | #2,002 |
| 1928 | 9 | #2,842 |
| 1927 | 14 | #2,193 |
| 1926 | 10 | #2,723 |
| 1925 | 14 | #2,192 |
| 1924 | 13 | #2,347 |
| 1923 | 7 | #3,465 |
| 1922 | 5 | #4,305 |
| 1921 | 6 | #3,867 |
Names like Kerry
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Holly Cassidy Keira Ffion Bryony Kelly Caragh Kennedy Erin Molly Caitlin Dilly
Names related to Kerry
More English names
Lily Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Kerry: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kerry, updated 20 October 2026.