Kennedy
Kennedy was the 85th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,933 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 54th; the most babies were born in 2015 (4,523). Over the last ten years it has moved down 27 places. More babies were named Kennedy in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · Irish
Say it KEN-uh-dee /ˈkɛnədi/
- Rank in 2025
- #85 girls, down 13 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,933girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20154,523 babies
- Total since 1880
- 101,120babies recorded
What does the name Kennedy mean?
Kennedy is the English form of the Irish surname Ó Cinnéide (older Ó Cinnéidigh), 'descendant of Cinnéidigh'. The first part of the personal name is ceann, 'head'. The second is disputed: Wiktionary and Wikipedia give éidigh, 'ugly', making 'ugly head', while the Irish scholar Patrick Woulfe read it as a word for 'armor', making 'helmeted head'. A Scottish Gaelic form gave a Scottish surname as well. Wiktionary describes Kennedy as a unisex first name, and its use for girls as modern and American.
ceann (Irish, “head”)éidigh (Irish, “ugly (one reading)”)
How sure is this? Disputed. 'Ugly head' versus 'helmeted head' (Woulfe); sources disagree on the second element.
Related names: Kennedi, Kenedy, Kenzie.
See also: Irish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kennedy', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Kennedy (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Kennedy popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 7,457 since 1912, 86 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #85 | 2,933 |
| 2020 | #72 | 3,361 |
| 2010 | #111 | 2,833 |
| 2000 | #139 | 2,390 |
| 1990 | #2,983 | 38 |
| 1980 | #11,174 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kennedy, counting every spelling?
Kennedy is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #89 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #85 for Kennedy on its own. Together these spellings went to 3,370 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennedy | 2,933 | #85 | 15,418 |
| Kennedi | 398 | #709 | 2,426 |
| Kenedi | 24 | #5,319 | 140 |
| Kennedie | 10 | #9,786 | 78 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kennedy?
2,933 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kennedy (0.81 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kennedy born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kennedy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kennedy?
About 92,900 people born in the US named Kennedy are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 8 and 21. That makes Kennedy mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kennedy by state
How common Kennedy was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (4.2×), New Hampshire (3.0×), Delaware (2.9×), Wyoming (2.6×), Rhode Island (2.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alaska, Hawaii, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kennedy: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kennedy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kennedy · Sibling names for Kennedy
Questions about the name Kennedy
What does Kennedy mean?
The meaning of Kennedy is disputed: 'Ugly head' versus 'helmeted head' (Woulfe); sources disagree on the second element.
How popular is the name Kennedy?
Kennedy was the 85th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,933 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 54th; the most babies were born in 2015 (4,523). Over the last ten years it has moved down 27 places. More babies were named Kennedy in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Kennedy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kennedy in the US.
Where is Kennedy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kennedy was most common in Vermont (8.05 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Hampshire and Delaware.