Kennedy Girl

Popularity: #82 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KEN-uh-dee //ˈkɛnədi//

Origin: Irish; Scottish

Meaning: Irish: 'descendant of the handsome one'; Scottish: 'helmeted chief'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Kennedy has its roots in the Gaelic surname "Cinnéidigh," which translates to "descendant of Cinnéidigh." The components of the name are derived from the Gaelic words "ceann," meaning "head," and "éidigh," which can be interpreted as "ugly" or "helmeted." This surname was historically associated with a prominent Irish clan, the O'Kennedys, who were significant in the regions of Tipperary and Offaly during the medieval period. The name made its way into English through the anglicization of Gaelic names, particularly during the 17th century, when many Irish surnames were adapted to fit English phonetics and spelling conventions.

Historically, the name Kennedy has been borne by notable figures, including John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, whose family name became synonymous with American political legacy in the 20th century.

The name also appears in various historical texts and documents, reflecting its longstanding presence in both Irish and American history. The O'Kennedy clan was recognized in the 12th century, and their lineage has been documented in various genealogical records, highlighting the name's significance in Irish heritage.

Culturally, the name Kennedy carries connotations of leadership and strength, often associated with the qualities of a head or leader, as suggested by its etymological roots. The name has been embraced in various forms, including the diminutive "Ken" or "Kenny," which has been used informally.

The enduring nature of the name can be attributed to its historical associations and the prominence of the Kennedy family in American history, particularly during the mid-20th century, which has left a lasting impact on the cultural landscape.

Fictional characters named Kennedy

The following list of fictional characters named Kennedy is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Kennedy is a fictional character from the video game series Metal Gear. He is a member of the U.S. military and plays a significant role in the storyline surrounding the conflict.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Kennedy, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

KatherineKelseyKiraKylieKaitlyn

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Kennedy. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

KendraKendallKinseyKinsleyKylieKeiraKieraKaitlyn

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Kennedy was first seen in the United States in 1912.

Kennedy has ranked as high as #146 nationally, which occurred in 2015, and has been most popular in Texas, California, Ohio, Georgia, and Michigan.

In the past 5 years the name Kennedy has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Kennedy is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Kennedy was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Kennedy.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,019 86 2,933
2024 2,986 96 2,890
2023 3,180 105 3,075
2022 3,181 104 3,077
2021 3,547 104 3,443
2020 3,503 142 3,361
2019 3,827 135 3,692
2018 4,072 126 3,946
2017 4,302 140 4,162
2016 4,512 171 4,341
2015 4,688 165 4,523
2014 4,656 158 4,498
2013 4,115 154 3,961
2012 3,553 164 3,389
2011 3,373 125 3,248
2010 2,992 159 2,833
2009 3,013 150 2,863
2008 3,119 166 2,953
2007 3,207 153 3,054
2006 3,083 179 2,904
2005 2,999 173 2,826
2004 3,069 183 2,886
2003 2,944 170 2,774
2002 2,708 195 2,513
2001 2,591 185 2,406
2000 2,550 160 2,390
1999 2,057 165 1,892
1998 1,810 152 1,658
1997 1,809 185 1,624
1996 1,587 169 1,418
1995 1,394 159 1,235
1994 615 142 473
1993 216 82 134
1992 135 88 47
1991 93 60 33
1990 110 72 38
1989 106 79 27
1988 74 59 15
1987 78 53 25
1986 66 49 17
1985 58 49 9
1984 69 59 10
1983 50 41 9
1982 37 28 9
1981 27 27 0
1980 25 20 5
1979 31 25 6
1978 29 22 7
1977 26 21 5
1976 26 26 0
1975 26 21 5
1974 22 22 0
1973 17 17 0
1972 19 19 0
1971 35 35 0
1970 42 42 0
1969 38 33 5
1968 56 56 0
1967 63 63 0
1966 87 87 0
1965 126 121 5
1964 229 229 0
1963 165 159 6
1962 86 86 0
1961 178 178 0
1960 117 117 0
1959 21 21 0
1958 21 21 0
1957 30 25 5
1956 16 16 0
1955 21 21 0
1954 19 19 0
1953 19 19 0
1952 12 12 0
1951 19 19 0
1950 13 13 0
1949 15 15 0
1948 6 6 0
1947 22 22 0
1946 11 11 0
1945 9 9 0
1944 19 19 0
1943 5 5 0
1942 6 6 0
1940 9 9 0
1939 10 10 0
1938 5 5 0
1937 6 6 0
1935 6 6 0
1934 10 10 0
1931 6 6 0
1930 19 19 0
1929 8 8 0
1928 9 9 0
1927 8 8 0
1926 8 8 0
1925 8 8 0
1924 11 11 0
1923 6 6 0
1922 11 11 0
1921 14 14 0
1920 8 8 0
1918 8 8 0
1917 12 12 0
1916 11 11 0
1915 7 7 0
1914 8 8 0
1912 5 5 0

Top States for Kennedy (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 263
9%
CA 215
7%
FL 170
6%
NC 135
5%
GA 126
4%
PA 117
4%
NY 110
4%
MI 105
4%
OH 103
4%
IL 96
3%
VA 80
3%
TN 80
3%
NJ 75
3%
WI 74
3%
IN 69
2%
MO 67
2%
AZ 67
2%
WA 66
2%
AL 62
2%
SC 61
2%
MN 60
2%
CO 58
2%
MA 56
2%
KY 47
2%
OK 45
2%
MD 44
2%
KS 40
1%
UT 37
1%
OR 34
1%
IA 33
1%
LA 29
1%
NE 29
1%
AR 29
1%
MS 28
1%
CT 27
1%
ID 26
1%
NV 24
1%
NH 21
1%
WV 16
1%
DE 13
0%
MT 12
0%
ME 11
0%
NM 11
0%
RI 10
0%
SD 10
0%
DC 9
0%
VT 7
0%
HI 5
0%