Girl nameCurrently #89 in the USFalling
Kennedy
KEN-uh-dee//ˈkɛnədi//
3 syllablesPeak year: 20157 lettersStarts with K
Meaning & origin
Helmeted head, or misshapen head
Kennedy comes from the Irish surname Ó Cinnéide, built from words often interpreted as 'helmeted head' or, in some readings, 'ugly head' — a fierce, warlike epithet rather than a literal description. Its American rise as a first name owes much to the enduring resonance of the Kennedy political family.
Kennedy's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Kennedy |
|---|---|
| 1912 | 5 |
| 1914 | 8 |
| 1915 | 7 |
| 1916 | 11 |
| 1917 | 12 |
| 1918 | 8 |
| 1920 | 8 |
| 1921 | 14 |
| 1922 | 11 |
| 1923 | 6 |
| 1924 | 11 |
| 1925 | 8 |
| 1926 | 8 |
| 1927 | 8 |
| 1928 | 9 |
| 1929 | 8 |
| 1930 | 19 |
| 1931 | 6 |
| 1934 | 10 |
| 1935 | 6 |
| 1937 | 6 |
| 1938 | 5 |
| 1939 | 10 |
| 1940 | 9 |
| 1942 | 6 |
| 1943 | 5 |
| 1944 | 19 |
| 1945 | 9 |
| 1946 | 11 |
| 1947 | 22 |
| 1948 | 6 |
| 1949 | 15 |
| 1950 | 13 |
| 1951 | 19 |
| 1952 | 12 |
| 1953 | 19 |
| 1954 | 19 |
| 1955 | 21 |
| 1956 | 16 |
| 1957 | 30 |
| 1958 | 21 |
| 1959 | 21 |
| 1960 | 117 |
| 1961 | 177 |
| 1962 | 86 |
| 1963 | 165 |
| 1964 | 229 |
| 1965 | 126 |
| 1966 | 87 |
| 1967 | 63 |
| 1968 | 56 |
| 1969 | 38 |
| 1970 | 42 |
| 1971 | 35 |
| 1972 | 19 |
| 1973 | 17 |
| 1974 | 22 |
| 1975 | 26 |
| 1976 | 26 |
| 1977 | 26 |
| 1978 | 29 |
| 1979 | 31 |
| 1980 | 25 |
| 1981 | 27 |
| 1982 | 37 |
| 1983 | 50 |
| 1984 | 68 |
| 1985 | 58 |
| 1986 | 66 |
| 1987 | 78 |
| 1988 | 75 |
| 1989 | 106 |
| 1990 | 110 |
| 1991 | 93 |
| 1992 | 135 |
| 1993 | 216 |
| 1994 | 615 |
| 1995 | 1,394 |
| 1996 | 1,587 |
| 1997 | 1,809 |
| 1998 | 1,810 |
| 1999 | 2,057 |
| 2000 | 2,550 |
| 2001 | 2,591 |
| 2002 | 2,708 |
| 2003 | 2,944 |
| 2004 | 3,069 |
| 2005 | 2,999 |
| 2006 | 3,083 |
| 2007 | 3,206 |
| 2008 | 3,119 |
| 2009 | 3,013 |
| 2010 | 2,992 |
| 2011 | 3,373 |
| 2012 | 3,553 |
| 2013 | 4,115 |
| 2014 | 4,655 |
| 2015 | 4,687 |
| 2016 | 4,512 |
| 2017 | 4,302 |
| 2018 | 4,071 |
| 2019 | 3,826 |
| 2020 | 3,502 |
| 2021 | 3,547 |
| 2022 | 3,179 |
| 2023 | 3,178 |
| 2024 | 2,976 |
Kennedy through the decades
- Kennedy peaked in 2015, when 4,687 babies were named Kennedy in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Kennedy has risen 11% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Kennedy currently ranks #89 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
KenKenzie
Variants & spellings
Kennedi
Famous people named Kennedy
- John F. Kennedy — US president (surname)