Kerry - A very unique female name
Kerry at a glance
Kerry is ranked #5028 among girl baby names in 2023, with 5 births in 2023. It peaked in 1971 at #144 and first appeared on the charts in 1942.
- Rank in 2023
- #5028
- Births in 2023
- 5
- Peak year
- 1971 (#144)
- First appeared
- 1942
- Trend
- #4695 in 2013 → #5028 in 2023 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 259,169 girls
- Visitor rating
- 4.9/5 (7 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 259,169 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kerry peaked in popularity 55 years ago in 1971 on position 144.
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 Texas at position #3,604 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #3,604.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 — place name
From County Kerry in Ireland, from Ciarraí, traditionally 'people of Ciar'
Kerry came from the Irish county to American girls in the 1940s, peaking in 1971 with 2,199 births and totalling 45,626. It has no row in 2020 or 2025.
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.
Kara / Kari / Kiara / Kira / Kyra / Kerri / Keira / Keri / Kiera / Kierra /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 |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 5028 |
| 2013 | 4695 |
| 2012 | 5355 |
| 2011 | 4359 |
| 2009 | 5544 |
| 2008 | 3484 |
| 2007 | 3581 |
| 2006 | 2492 |
| 2005 | 1910 |
| 2004 | 2077 |
| 2003 | 1522 |
| 2002 | 1291 |
| 2001 | 1249 |
| 2000 | 1102 |
| 1999 | 975 |
| 1998 | 997 |
| 1997 | 807 |
| 1996 | 738 |
| 1995 | 714 |
| 1994 | 644 |
| 1993 | 626 |
| 1992 | 541 |
| 1991 | 507 |
| 1990 | 452 |
| 1989 | 440 |
| 1988 | 407 |
| 1987 | 365 |
| 1986 | 345 |
| 1985 | 353 |
| 1984 | 317 |
| 1983 | 299 |
| 1982 | 267 |
| 1981 | 267 |
| 1980 | 260 |
| 1979 | 252 |
| 1978 | 217 |
| 1977 | 202 |
| 1976 | 176 |
| 1975 | 163 |
| 1974 | 158 |
| 1973 | 148 |
| 1972 | 148 |
| 1971 | 144 |
| 1970 | 176 |
| 1969 | 176 |
| 1968 | 186 |
| 1967 | 233 |
| 1966 | 262 |
| 1965 | 292 |
| 1964 | 263 |
| 1963 | 258 |
| 1962 | 271 |
| 1961 | 286 |
| 1960 | 301 |
| 1959 | 336 |
| 1958 | 328 |
| 1957 | 319 |
| 1956 | 322 |
| 1955 | 345 |
| 1954 | 366 |
| 1953 | 350 |
| 1952 | 350 |
| 1951 | 361 |
| 1950 | 371 |
| 1949 | 407 |
| 1948 | 527 |
| 1947 | 628 |
| 1946 | 695 |
| 1945 | 715 |
| 1944 | 655 |
| 1943 | 945 |
| 1942 | 1347 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Texas | 3604 |
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 female 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
KAIR-ee · /ˈkɛri/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
- Kerri — The doubled-r variant, a separate profile
- Keri — Another variant, a separate profile
- Carrie — A sound-alike from a different root
Famous bearers
- Kerry Washington — Actress, star of Scandal (b. 1977) Contemporary
Style
Place nameInternational
Why parents choose it
A brisk Irish place name kept current in the public eye by Kerry Washington, even as newborn use has stopped.
Worth knowing
- Kerry, Kerri, Keri and Carrie are easily confused in speech and spelling
