Kerry - A very unique male name
Kerry at a glance
Kerry is ranked #2312 among boy baby names in 2025, with 23 births in 2025. It peaked in 1960 at #158 and first appeared on the charts in 1934.
- Rank in 2025
- #2312
- Births in 2025
- 23
- Peak year
- 1960 (#158)
- First appeared
- 1934
- Trend
- #2660 in 2015 → #2312 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 63,751 boys
- Visitor rating
- 4.9/5 (7 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 63,751 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kerry peaked in popularity 66 years ago in 1960 on position 158.
Famous with this name
Kerry Condon
Kerry Washington
Kerry Fox
How would you rate Kerry, 1-5?
Kerry is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Kerry is currently topping the baby name charts in Indiana at position #1,026 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,644.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Kerry is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Kerry origin and meaning
Irish
From County Kerry in Ireland, and also an anglicised Irish surname from Ciar, 'dark'
Kerry took off in the US as a place- and surname-name, peaking for boys in 1960 with over two thousand births. It has since faded to a few dozen births a year, used for both sexes but listed here for boys.
Attested etymology
Kerry is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Kerry, pop culture references for the name Kerry and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Kerry
We've found the following names that sound similar to Kerry, sorted by popularity.
Kyrie / Kory / Kairo / Korey / Kyree / Krew / Khari / Kaiser / Kyro / Kyaire /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2312 |
| 2024 | 2478 |
| 2023 | 3696 |
| 2022 | 2543 |
| 2021 | 3565 |
| 2019 | 3088 |
| 2018 | 2210 |
| 2017 | 2303 |
| 2016 | 2325 |
| 2015 | 2660 |
| 2014 | 1739 |
| 2013 | 1978 |
| 2012 | 2324 |
| 2011 | 2069 |
| 2010 | 1762 |
| 2009 | 1910 |
| 2008 | 1814 |
| 2007 | 1750 |
| 2006 | 1697 |
| 2005 | 1243 |
| 2004 | 976 |
| 2003 | 1349 |
| 2002 | 1146 |
| 2001 | 1073 |
| 2000 | 1068 |
| 1999 | 945 |
| 1998 | 985 |
| 1997 | 782 |
| 1996 | 799 |
| 1995 | 724 |
| 1994 | 690 |
| 1993 | 617 |
| 1992 | 595 |
| 1991 | 484 |
| 1990 | 482 |
| 1989 | 479 |
| 1988 | 447 |
| 1987 | 444 |
| 1986 | 378 |
| 1985 | 357 |
| 1984 | 361 |
| 1983 | 425 |
| 1982 | 409 |
| 1981 | 403 |
| 1980 | 391 |
| 1979 | 378 |
| 1978 | 354 |
| 1977 | 333 |
| 1976 | 306 |
| 1975 | 291 |
| 1974 | 268 |
| 1973 | 271 |
| 1972 | 265 |
| 1971 | 255 |
| 1970 | 242 |
| 1969 | 233 |
| 1968 | 214 |
| 1967 | 204 |
| 1966 | 195 |
| 1965 | 177 |
| 1964 | 175 |
| 1963 | 170 |
| 1962 | 168 |
| 1961 | 162 |
| 1960 | 158 |
| 1959 | 178 |
| 1958 | 194 |
| 1957 | 175 |
| 1956 | 182 |
| 1955 | 173 |
| 1954 | 169 |
| 1953 | 193 |
| 1952 | 194 |
| 1951 | 191 |
| 1950 | 198 |
| 1949 | 210 |
| 1948 | 234 |
| 1947 | 247 |
| 1946 | 296 |
| 1945 | 347 |
| 1944 | 348 |
| 1943 | 436 |
| 1942 | 563 |
| 1941 | 606 |
| 1940 | 654 |
| 1939 | 681 |
| 1938 | 897 |
| 1937 | 1043 |
| 1936 | 771 |
| 1935 | 654 |
| 1934 | 1264 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Indiana | 1026 |
| Florida | 1553 |
| Texas | 2440 |
| California | 2644 |
Even more about Kerry
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Kerry a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Kerry?
2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
KEH-ree · /ˈkɛri/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
- Kerrie — Spelling variant used for both sexes
- Keri — Short respelling, mostly used for girls
Famous bearers
- Kerry King — Guitarist and co-founder of the metal band Slayer (b. 1964) Contemporary
- Kerry Wood — Former Major League Baseball pitcher, a Chicago Cubs star (b. 1977) Contemporary
Style
Place nameSurname
Why parents choose it
Kerry now reads as a gentle vintage choice — a familiar Irish name that has quietly become rare again.
Worth knowing
- It is now used at least as often for girls, so some will assume a girl.
- John Kerry carries it as a surname, which is the association many adults will mention first.
