Unisex name · Irish Gaelic
Kerry
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: Ciar's peopleKerry is a gender-neutral name that comes from Irish Gaelic and means "Ciar's people". It is used in Irish and English.
- Meaning
- Ciar's people
- Origin
- Irish Gaelic
- Gender
- Unisex
- Say it
- KER-ee (Irish)
Meaning and origin of Kerry
As a gender-neutral name, Kerry comes from Irish Gaelic and means "Ciar's people". It is used in Irish and English.
In Irish, say KER-ee. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Kerry on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Kerry on 3 lists.
“Ciar's people; Irish Gaelic, a county on the Atlantic coast”
From Gender neutral names, unisex names from Irish, Scottish and Welsh
“From Ciarraí, the county of the people of Ciar. Say KER-ee.”
From Irish girl names, irish place and word names for girls
“Ciar's people; from the Irish county. Ciar means dark”
From Names that mean shadow, unisex names that mean dark
How popular is Kerry?
In 2025, 22 girls and 55 boys in the US were named Kerry.
As a girl’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #5,642
- 22 babies, 14 per million girls
- Best rank
- #145 in 1971
- 2,206 babies that year
- Babies since 1920
- At least 48,675
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 1 per million |
| 1930s | 6 per million |
| 1940s | 101 per million |
| 1950s | 335 per million |
| 1960s | 669 per million |
| 1970s | 1,043 per million |
| 1980s | 442 per million |
| 1990s | 191 per million |
| 2000s | 50 per million |
| 2010s | 17 per million |
| 2020s | 10 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,681 | #4,635 | #6,953 | #5,715 | #5,396 | #7,112 | #6,858 | #8,283 | #11,658 | #5,642 |
As a boy’s name
- US rank in 2025
- #2,464
- 55 babies, 32 per million boys
- Best rank
- #158 in 1960
- 2,176 babies that year
- Babies since 1921
- At least 49,969
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 8 per million |
| 1930s | 51 per million |
| 1940s | 272 per million |
| 1950s | 713 per million |
| 1960s | 794 per million |
| 1970s | 403 per million |
| 1980s | 239 per million |
| 1990s | 129 per million |
| 2000s | 58 per million |
| 2010s | 31 per million |
| 2020s | 27 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,423 | #2,302 | #2,530 | #2,878 | #3,004 | #2,946 | #2,504 | #3,383 | #2,691 | #2,464 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Kerry
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- KerrThicket, marsh (Scots, boy)
- KeirThicket, marsh (Scots, boy)
- KeiraDark one (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- KeremGenerosity, nobility (Arabic, boy)
- KerenRay of light; horn (Hebrew, girl)
- KorayEmber moon (Turkish, boy)
Middle names for Kerry
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- DahliaFlower named for botanist Anders Dahl (Swedish, girl)
- ElijahMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- EsmeraldaEmerald (Spanish, girl)
- EstelleA star (Latin, girl)
- JeremiahGod will exalt (Hebrew, boy)
- StellaA star (Latin, girl)
- WesleyWest meadow (Old English, boy)
- ZinniaFlower named for Johann Zinn (English, girl)
More names from Irish Gaelic
- OscarPossibly deer friend (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FinnFair, white (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- FergusMan of vigor (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- KevinGentle birth (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RonanLittle seal (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- RoryRed king (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidanLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AidenLittle fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AodhFire, flame (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- AydenVariant of Aidan, little fire (Irish Gaelic, boy)
Kerry: common questions
What does the name Kerry mean?
Kerry comes from Irish Gaelic and means "Ciar's people".
Is Kerry a boy or girl name?
Kerry is used for both boys and girls. In 2025, 22 girls and 55 boys in the US were named Kerry, according to Social Security Administration data.
Where does the name Kerry come from?
Kerry comes from Irish Gaelic and means "Ciar's people". Today it is used in Irish and English.
How do you pronounce Kerry?
In Irish, say KER-ee. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Kerry?
Kerry ranked #5,642 in the US in 2025, with 22 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Kerry?
Names spelled like Kerry include Kerr, Keir, Keira, Kerem and Keren.
What middle names go with Kerry?
Middle names that flow well with Kerry include Dahlia, Elijah, Esmeralda, Estelle and Jeremiah. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.