Kerry: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Kerry is an Irish girl's name meaning “Ciar’s people.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated November 2026
- Meaning
- Ciar’s people
- Gender
- Girl
How do you pronounce Kerry?
Kerry is pronounced KER-ee. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Kerry mean?
Kerry comes from the name of County Kerry, in Irish Ciarraí, which means “Ciar’s people.” The county is named after the Ciarraige, an early people who traced their descent from Ciar, in legend a son of Fergus mac Róich and Queen Medb of Connacht.
Ciar comes from the Irish word ciar, which in Old Irish meant black or dark brown; Ó Dónaill’s dictionary gives “dark, swarthy” for the modern adjective, which is used of a dark complexion. In the Ulster Cycle, Fergus was king of Ulster until Conchobar mac Nessa took his place, and he later became the ally and lover of Medb, Conchobar’s enemy.
Sources: Behind the Name, Wikipedia, Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie).
How popular is Kerry in Ireland?
Kerry wasn't in the 2025 tables, which list names given to at least three babies. It was last recorded in 2020, when 3 baby girls got the name. It was most popular in 2004, when 30 baby girls were named Kerry, No. 149 that year. It first appears in the records in 1968, with 4 baby girls.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | No. 834 |
| 2018 | 3 | No. 896 |
| 2013 | 4 | No. 747 |
| 2011 | 7 | No. 550 |
| 2009 | 5 | No. 641 |
| 2008 | 17 | No. 291 |
| 2007 | 12 | No. 348 |
| 2006 | 21 | No. 210 |
| 2005 | 26 | No. 173 |
| 2004 | 30 | No. 149 |
| 2003 | 20 | No. 189 |
| 2002 | 25 | No. 160 |
| 2001 | 21 | No. 187 |
| 2000 | 9 | No. 303 |
| 1999 | 18 | No. 194 |
| 1998 | 6 | No. 345 |
| 1997 | 19 | No. 226 |
| 1996 | 17 | No. 227 |
| 1995 | 9 | No. 310 |
| 1994 | 11 | No. 282 |
| 1993 | 11 | No. 286 |
| 1992 | 22 | No. 193 |
| 1991 | 20 | No. 197 |
| 1990 | 13 | No. 257 |
| 1989 | 7 | No. 353 |
| 1988 | 7 | No. 359 |
| 1987 | 9 | No. 329 |
| 1986 | 8 | No. 334 |
| 1985 | 11 | No. 292 |
| 1984 | 15 | No. 252 |
| 1983 | 10 | No. 313 |
| 1982 | 14 | No. 280 |
| 1981 | 16 | No. 259 |
| 1980 | 19 | No. 239 |
| 1979 | 17 | No. 253 |
| 1978 | 18 | No. 239 |
| 1977 | 21 | No. 220 |
| 1976 | 12 | No. 271 |
| 1975 | 17 | No. 232 |
| 1974 | 15 | No. 255 |
| 1973 | 7 | No. 349 |
| 1972 | 6 | No. 352 |
| 1971 | 5 | No. 383 |
| 1970 | 10 | No. 272 |
| 1969 | 6 | No. 322 |
| 1968 | 4 | No. 357 |
Kerry in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Kerry, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- EEadhadh, aspen
- RRuis, elder
- RRuis, elder
- IIodhadh, yew
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Kerry
Questions about Kerry
- How do you pronounce Kerry?
- Kerry is pronounced KER-ee, with two syllables and the stress on the first.
- What does Kerry mean?
- Kerry is an Irish girl's name meaning “Ciar’s people.”
- Is Kerry a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Kerry is a girl's name.
Sources: popularity from the Central Statistics Office, table VSA60 (CC BY 4.0). Meaning and origin from Behind the Name, Wikipedia and Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie). How we research names: our sources. Spotted a mistake? support@babynamesofireland.com