NameCensus.

UK name, mostly girls

Kerry

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

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Kerry is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Kerry popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4843, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 333 births.

This profile covers 1,804 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 1% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 7,058 living people in the UK are called Kerry. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Kerry ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 333 girls were registered as Kerry.
  • Kerry ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #397 in 2020.
  • About 7,058 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kerry as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
  • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 97.9% of Kerry registrations are for girls.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4843

2024

Births in 2024

4

Latest year

Peak year

1996

333 births

Estimated living

7,058

2026

Gender

Boy and girl registrations for Kerry

In England and Wales birth records, Kerry has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 2.1% of registrations are for boys and 97.9% are for girls.

These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.

98% girls
Boys38 (2.1%)Girls1,804 (97.9%)

Kerry registered for boys

  • Ranked #4,678 in 2010
  • 3 boys registered in 2010
  • Peak: 1997 (7 births)

Kerry registered for girls

  • Ranked #4,843 in 2024
  • 4 girls registered in 2024
  • Peak: 1996 (333 births)

Meaning

What does Kerry mean?

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.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Kerry over time

The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Kerry in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Kerry, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 333 at the peak.

Babies born per year

BoysGirls
084169253337199620102024

Decades

Kerry by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kerry was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #4739 8 2
2010s #3389 67 9
2000s #592 754 10
1990s #190 975 4

Geography

Where Kerry is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kerry. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Kerry ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #397 in 2020.

Scotland
5
Northern Ireland
3

Across the UK

Kerry in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#585 in 2016

40 years of NRS records, 5,106 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#397 in 2020

18 years of NISRA records, 249 total registered

Related

Names similar to Kerry

FAQ

Kerry: questions and answers

How popular is the name Kerry in the UK right now?

In 2024, Kerry was ranked #4843 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Kerry most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 333 babies registered as Kerry in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Kerry?

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

How many people are called Kerry in the UK?

A total of 1,804 babies have been registered as Kerry across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 5,106 more in Scotland and 249 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Kerry most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Kerry ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #397 in 2020. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.