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Kerry as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kerry

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The baby name Kerry is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkɛri/ (KER-ee).

Kerry is Irish in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Irish
Pronunciation: /ˈkɛri/ (KER-ee)

What is the meaning of the name Kerry ?

The baby name Kerry is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈkɛri/ (KER-ee).

Kerry is Irish in Origin.

Kerry is an English given name taken from the Irish place and surname of County Kerry, from Irish Ciarraí (from Old Irish Ciarraige), “the people of Ciar,” where Ciar means “dark” or “black‑haired.” As a toponymic and ethnonymic label, it originally indicated origin in the southwest county or descent from the early tribe; the “dark” sense reflects the underlying root rather than a personal trait.

Used for both sexes, Kerry rose sharply in the mid-20th century across Ireland, Britain, Australia, and the United States, peaking from the 1960s to 1980s amid interest in Irish and place-derived names. Feminine-leaning spellings include Keri, Kerrie, and Kerri, while Carey/Cary are often associated but stem from different etymologies. Related Gaelic names sharing the root ciar include Ciara and Ciarán. Informal short forms such as Ker or Kez occur in English usage, though the name is typically used in full.

Kerry has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Kerry

Kerry Washington Actor · Born 1977 · United States Kerry Washington is an American actor best known for her role as Olivia Pope in the television series Scandal. She has also starred in films like Django Unchained and Ray. Born in 1977, she has become a prominent figure in Hollywood for her compelling performances. Kerry Condon Actor · Born 1983 · Ireland Kerry Condon is an Irish actor best known for her role as Stacey Ehrmantraut in the television series 'Better Call Saul'. She also gained recognition for her performance in 'The Banshees of Inisherin' and as the voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Born in 1983, she has built a diverse career in both television and film. Kerry Fox Actor · Born 1966 · New Zealand Kerry Fox is a talented actor from New Zealand, best known for her role in the film 'An Angel at My Table'. She also starred in 'Shallow Grave' and 'Intimacy', showcasing her versatility and depth as an actor.
Kerry Katona Actor · Born 1980 · United Kingdom Kerry Katona is best known as a member of the British pop group Atomic Kitten, which gained fame with hits like 'Whole Again' and 'The Tide Is High'. Born in 1980 in the United Kingdom, she has also appeared on reality TV shows such as 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' where she won in 2004. Kerry Von Erich Actor · Born 1960 · United States Kerry Von Erich was a professional wrestler from the United States, best known as a member of the famous Von Erich wrestling family. He gained fame in the 1980s with his performances in World Class Championship Wrestling and later in the WWF, where he was known as the Texas Tornado.

Celebrity babies named Kerry

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Kerry Rooney Mickey Rooney film director ★★★★★

Kerry – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2020 #1 — 882
Ireland Boys 1978 #1 — 343
KR Girls 0 #15 1 572
BW 0 #19 1 960
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
HT Boys 0 #33 2 903
MT 0 #42 2 1,767
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
CY 0 #58 3 1,632
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JM 0 #71 17 3,714
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
JM Girls 0 #79 265 7,507
CN 0 #80 7 3,857
QA 0 #99 8 7,011
TW 0 #100 4 4,523
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
OM 0 #116 6 6,215
CY Girls 0 #117 9 3,755
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
CY Boys 0 #129 3 3,473
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
BN Boys 0 #137 3 6,332
BW Girls 0 #138 11 4,216
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
CR 0 #146 13 5,526
MT Girls 0 #150 4 3,773
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
AE 0 #166 12 10,220
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
PR Boys 0 #177 2 2,508
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
LU Girls 0 #186 5 4,850
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
DK 0 #206 1 5,198
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
LU Boys 0 #219 2 4,970
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
MO Boys 0 #227 8 5,842
TW Boys 0 #229 13 7,111
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Girls 0 #233 5 7,146
MO Girls 0 #234 18 7,056
JM Boys 0 #237 36 6,876
GR Girls 0 #243 7 6,293
EC Boys 0 #245 2 3,322
GH 0 #247 2 5,396
AO Boys 0 #248 2 5,568
JP Girls 0 #248 4 6,592
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
TW Girls 0 #252 25 8,139
SG 0 #254 16 11,010
CN Girls 0 #260 90 8,829
NG 0 #265 8 5,926
GR Boys 0 #272 2 6,912
CN Boys 0 #278 42 9,639
IL 0 #281 2 6,291
ZA 0 #282 166 14,421
Canada Girls 2007 #299 7 2,781
HK 0 #302 47 8,483
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
MY 0 #306 25 12,352
QA Girls 0 #307 10 15,378
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
Canada Boys 2019 #323 5 2,618
DK Girls 0 #325 5 7,429
PE 0 #326 4 6,350
KZ Girls 0 #327 6 5,862
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
GT 0 #338 1 5,948
PL Boys 0 #340 1 6,459
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
GH Boys 0 #353 9 8,138
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
MU Girls 0 #359 4 8,539
MU Boys 0 #366 4 8,477
France Boys 2021 #378 10 2,865
OM Girls 0 #387 10 15,987
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
PH Boys 0 #404 5 11,440
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
HK Girls 0 #413 208 16,104
France Girls 2014 #414 4 3,259
PH Girls 0 #427 3 13,098
SD Boys 0 #435 11 10,523
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
CR Boys 0 #457 31 10,188
HK Boys 0 #464 64 12,905
RU Girls 0 #465 34 11,913
PT Girls 0 #466 6 7,952
CR Girls 0 #480 53 11,342
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
GT Boys 0 #497 3 7,625
PA Boys 0 #498 8 9,305
AE Girls 0 #506 48 20,968
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
PA Girls 0 #515 4 9,861
RU Boys 0 #520 7 12,621
CM Girls 0 #523 18 11,671
IQ Girls 0 #525 1 11,303
CM Boys 0 #528 23 12,054
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
GT Girls 0 #538 4 7,500
SG Girls 0 #538 49 18,916
PS Girls 0 #542 6 10,981
IR Girls 0 #543 3 8,334
LY 0 #552 8 12,703
KW Girls 0 #558 4 19,177
PS Boys 0 #558 4 10,655
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
ZA Girls 0 #566 773 25,928
BH 0 #582 6 17,937
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
IL Girls 0 #606 12 11,648
IL Boys 0 #620 6 10,983
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
IN Girls 0 #649 6 13,121
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
CL Boys 0 #653 13 13,390
SG Boys 0 #666 32 17,960
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #695 3 13,071
IT 0 #697 18 4,183
NG Girls 0 #721 66 15,093
QA Boys 0 #738 6 18,093
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
BR Boys 0 #782 4 12,213
Germany Girls 0 #789 50 4,949
KW Boys 0 #803 4 18,755
PE Boys 0 #831 48 14,506
MY Girls 0 #837 158 24,821
United States Boys 2024 #844 49 7,044
TN 0 #862 4 13,765
NG Boys 0 #863 89 16,906
CO Boys 0 #906 15 15,656
United States Girls 2024 #909 8 8,487
CL Girls 0 #911 5 14,098
SA Girls 0 #916 20 25,931
EG Boys 0 #917 9 15,035
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
Spain Boys 0 #921 10 5,610
PE Girls 0 #926 18 14,861
Germany Boys 0 #935 18 5,697
NL Girls 0 #935 21 5,933
Spain Girls 0 #940 44 5,561
EG Girls 0 #942 18 14,742
MX Boys 0 #970 13 16,355
MY Boys 0 #984 128 25,439
BR Girls 0 #986 7 12,708
IN Boys 0 #1,032 8 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,067 12 16,140
AE Boys 0 #1,083 10 22,615
ZA Boys 0 #1,136 43 25,619
MX Girls 0 #1,166 18 17,781
MA 0 #1,196 4 20,986
TR 0 #1,198 14 19,440
DZ 0 #1,227 8 20,130
IT Girls 0 #1,341 106 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,440 32 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,683 9 28,008

Kerry is popular in 77 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
France
United States
Canada

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People also ask about Kerry

Kerry is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Kerry is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈkɛri/ (KER-ee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Keri, Kerri, Kerrie, Kery and Kerrey.
Across languages, Kerry has these equivalents: Ciara (Irish feminine), Ciarán (Irish masculine), Kieran/Kieron (anglicized forms), Carrie (similar-sounding English name).
Yes, very popular — Kerry ranked #1 in Ireland in 2020, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Kerry ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2020).
Yes — 5 notable people named Kerry are in our database, including Kerry Washington (Actor), Kerry Condon (Actor), Kerry Fox (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Kerry for their child, including Mickey Rooney.