Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1960

Kerry

Gender Unisex · 49% girls Rank 2025 #2,464 Trend → Stable

A surname from Middle English derived from the place name, or from the Middle English given name Kendrick.

Rank 2025
#2,464
among boys · ↑227 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
77
named Kerry · +35% vs 2024
How common
1 in 31,056
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1960
3,127 babies
All-time total
98,644
#513 all-time among boys
First recorded
1920
in Social Security records

Kerry popularity over time

98,644 babies have been named Kerry since 1920, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s 16 93 109 11 – #2,056
1930s 59 537 596 60 +447% #550
1940s 1,463 4,054 5,517 552 +826% #210
1950s 6,442 14,416 20,858 2,086 +278% #170
1960s 12,223 15,286 27,509 2,751 +32% #158
1970s 16,123 6,662 22,785 2,279 -17% #243
1980s 7,593 4,406 11,999 1,200 -47% #351
1990s 3,439 2,510 5,949 595 -50% #483
2000s 925 1,152 2,077 208 -65% #973
2010s 293 578 871 87 -58% #1,953
2020s (to 2025) 99 275 374 62 -28% #2,464

Where Kerry is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 56 0.03 outside top 500
2027 57 0.03 outside top 500
2028 58 0.03 outside top 500
2029 58 0.03 outside top 500
2030 59 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Kerry

Kerry is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,464 in 2025 with 55 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1920, 98,644 American babies have been named Kerry, about 51% boys and 49% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1960, when 3,127 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kerry stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kerry?

The median living Kerry is about 56 years old; half are between 46 and 65. An estimated 85 thousand people named Kerry are alive in the United States today.

median 56 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kerry year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 22 #5,642 55 #2,464
2024 8 #11,658 49 #2,691
2023 13 #8,283 35 #3,383
2022 17 #6,858 55 #2,504
2021 16 #7,112 42 #2,946
2020 23 #5,396 39 #3,004
2019 22 #5,715 43 #2,878
2018 17 #6,953 51 #2,530
2017 30 #4,635 57 #2,302
2016 30 #4,681 53 #2,423
2015 26 #5,219 62 #2,201
2014 37 #4,062 62 #2,190
2013 39 #3,883 71 #1,953
2012 27 #5,180 53 #2,404
2011 35 #4,193 61 #2,159
2010 30 #4,803 65 #2,084
2009 32 #4,628 70 #1,999
2008 37 #4,230 85 #1,769
2007 45 #3,630 87 #1,724
2006 73 #2,525 99 #1,524
2005 80 #2,270 120 #1,287
2004 86 #2,107 172 #973
2003 100 #1,852 112 #1,273
2002 141 #1,372 130 #1,117
2001 149 #1,298 142 #1,038
2000 182 #1,124 135 #1,063
1995 295 #710 206 #748
1990 556 #446 402 #483
1985 672 #349 525 #351
1980 1,000 #259 431 #394
1975 1,676 #163 646 #294
1970 1,831 #176 967 #243
1965 921 #289 1,471 #177
1960 951 #302 2,176 #158
1955 615 #348 1,601 #174
1950 478 #365 1,062 #197
1945 124 #664 310 #341
1940 22 #1,714 112 #561
1935 5 #4,558 110 #550
1930 – – 21 #1,628
1925 6 #4,693 14 #2,263
1920 5 #5,361 – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Kerry

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Kerry Condon Kerry Condon Irish actress (born 1983) Contemporary
  2. 2 Kerry Washington Kerry Washington American actress (born 1977) Contemporary
  3. 3 Kerry Katona Kerry Katona English media personality and singer (born 1980) Contemporary
  4. 4 Kerry Bishé Kerry Bishé American actress b. 1984 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Kerry Fox Kerry Fox New Zealand actress (born 1966) Contemporary
  6. 6 Kerry Dixon English footballer (born 1961) Contemporary
  7. 7 Kerry Melville Kerry Melville Australian tennis player b. 1947 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kerry, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kerry?

The median living Kerry is about 56 years old. Half of all living Kerrys are between 46 and 65 years old.

How many people named Kerry are alive today?

An estimated 85 thousand people named Kerry are alive in the United States, based on 98,644 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kerry mean?

A surname from Middle English derived from the place name, or from the Middle English given name Kendrick.

How popular is the name Kerry in 2025?

Kerry ranked #2,464 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 55 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kerry?

98,644 babies have been named Kerry in the United States since 1920, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kerry most popular?

Kerry peaked in 1960, when 3,127 newborns received the name.

Is Kerry a boy or girl name?

Kerry is used for both: about 49% of babies named Kerry have been girls and 51% boys.

Is the name Kerry rising or falling?

Kerry is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kerry become more popular?

Kerry is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 59 boys named Kerry in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Kerry?

Well-known people named Kerry include Kerry Condon (actor), Kerry Washington (actor), Kerry Katona (actor).

Names like Kerry

Names that sound and feel close to Kerry: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kerry with similar names → More names starting with K →