Kerry

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 2 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Kerry is also recorded as 3 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• French given name12K records spelled Kerry4 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France, United States, United Kingdom, Canada

  Languages: French, Catalan

  Also written Kërrÿ, Kérry

• German given name11K records spelled Kerry63 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Germany, United States, Thailand, Netherlands

  Languages: German, Thai, Dutch

  Also written Joachim, Green, Curry, Currie, Ker

• Welsh given name4.0K records spelled Kerry2 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United Kingdom

  Also written Ceri

78 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Kerry is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• In French, From the Irish county name Ciarraí, via surname usage.

  as a name·Le grand guide des prénoms (Enfant - Education)

• ,3 Of recent, Australian, origin, probably from the name of the Irish county. It is now becoming relatively common in Britain as well as Australia, especially as a girl’s name. Variants: Kerrie, Kerri, Keri all (2). See also Ceri.

  as a name·A concise dictionary of first names

• Kethine, Kething v. Cethin Kibbey, Kibby v. Cybi Kidwelly v. Introd. Place-names

  as a name·Welsh Surnames

• habitational name from Ceri, an ancient commot of central Wales.

  as a name·Dictionary of American Family Names

• In French, Origine irlandaise, du nom d’une région d’Irlande.

  as a name·Le grand guide des prénoms (Enfant - Education)

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 106 years between 1920–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Kerry Reidb. 1947AUAustralian tennis player
• Kerry Kennedyb. 1959USAmerican human rights activist (born 1959)
• Kerry Kingb. 1964USAmerican guitarist (born 1964)
• Kerry Foxb. 1966NZNew Zealand actress (born 1966)
• Kerry Butlerb. 1971USAmerican recording artist; actress and singer
• Kerry Washingtonb. 1977USAmerican actress
• Kerry Katonab. 1980GBEnglish media personality and singer (born 1980)
• Kerry Condonb. 1983IEIrish actress
• Alexis Ohanianb. 1983USnot in their usual nameAmerican businessman
• Kerry Bishéb. 1984NZNew Zealand-born American actress

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 960 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Kerry?

We estimate roughly 46 thousand people bear Kerry (counting its spellings and scripts) across 9 countries in our records.

In which country does Kerry have the most bearers?

Kerry is most frequently recorded in the United Kingdom, where it is most often spelled kerry.

How common is Kerry compared with other names?

In the United Kingdom, Kerry is the 231st most common given name of 369,273 given names recorded there.

Is Kerry a male or female name?

Kerry is recorded for both men and women. We don't publish a percentage split: a record's gender belongs to the person and is attached to every given name on that record, so names in cultures where a name string also carries a parent's or spouse's given name pick up large cross-gender counts.

What does the name Kerry mean?

Recorded meaning: Irish placename used as a girl’s first name; sometimes a boy’s; in Boston Irish regarded as a form of Katherine.