Kerry first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Kerry has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Kerry

The given name of Irish origin meaning "dark-haired" or "dark one".

Popularity of Kerry by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Kerry is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 63% of people named Kerry being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 35 male babies and 13 female babies born with the name Kerry.

It's also interesting to see that despite Kerry being historically a mostly female name, the most recent data from 2023 shows a shift in the trend, with more male babies being named Kerry.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 35 13
2022 55 17
2021 42 16
2020 38 23
2019 43 22
2018 51 16
2017 57 30
2016 53 30
2015 62 26
2014 62 37
2013 71 39
2012 53 27
2011 61 35
2010 65 30
2009 70 32
2008 85 37
2007 87 44
2006 99 73
2005 120 80
2004 172 86
2003 112 100
2002 130 141
2001 142 149
2000 135 182
1999 150 200
1998 150 199
1997 188 272
1996 181 289
1995 206 296
1994 235 339
1993 296 373
1992 288 438
1991 414 477
1990 402 556
1989 409 560
1988 421 599
1987 409 670
1986 481 699
1985 525 672
1984 512 730
1983 383 786
1982 418 938
1981 417 939
1980 431 1,000
1979 462 994
1978 463 1,154
1977 540 1,300
1976 582 1,449
1975 646 1,678
1974 710 1,729

The history of the first name Kerry

Kerry is an anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ciarraí, which originated in County Kerry, Ireland. The name Ciarraí comes from the Irish Gaelic word 'ciar' meaning black or dark. It is believed to have been derived from the dark soil found in the region of County Kerry.

The earliest recorded use of the name Kerry dates back to the 6th century AD, when it was mentioned in the Annals of Inisfallen, an Irish chronicle. The name was used to refer to the people and territory of County Kerry, located in the southwestern part of Ireland.

In ancient Irish mythology, Kerry is associated with the legendary figure of Ciar, who was said to be the founder of the Ciarraige, a Gaelic Irish dynasty that ruled parts of County Kerry in the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Kerry was Kery O'Daly (c. 1180 – c. 1238), an Irish poet and historian from County Kerry. He is known for his work, the "Poem on the Tribes of Ireland," which is a valuable source of information on the genealogies and histories of Irish clans.

In the 16th century, Kerry O'Daly (c. 1510 – c. 1590) was a notable Irish poet and scholar from County Kerry. He was a member of the O'Daly clan, a renowned family of poets and historians.

Another notable figure with the name Kerry was Kerry Ingram (born 1999), an English actress best known for her role as Shireen Baratheon in the HBO series "Game of Thrones."

Kerry Conran (born 1971) is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his debut film "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" (2004), a critically acclaimed science fiction adventure film.

Kerry Washington (born 1977) is an American actress, producer, and director. She is known for her roles in films such as "Ray" (2004) and "Django Unchained" (2012), as well as the television series "Scandal" (2012-2018), for which she received several accolades, including two Primetime Emmy nominations.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Kerry was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kerry, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Kerry first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/kerry-meaning-and-history/.

"Kerry first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/kerry-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Kerry first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/kerry-meaning-and-history/.

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