Kennedy
From the Irish surname O Cinneide, descendant of Cinneidigh, a name combining words for head and ugly or helmeted. American use follows the political family.
Kennedy in 2025
Kennedy was given to 3,019 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 210th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 1,098 babies born.
The history of Kennedy
Kennedy reached its highest point in 2015, when 4,688 babies were given the name, ranking 146th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 144th, in 2014.
Across the 114 years of records since 1912, 101,120 babies have been named Kennedy. Half of them were born before 2012, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation Z.
Kennedy has switched sex over its history: it went mostly to boys in its early decades, and goes mostly to girls today.
Kennedy by decade
| Decade | Babies named Kennedy | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 51 | 4,639 |
| 1920s | 91 | 4,549 |
| 1930s | 62 | 3,382 |
| 1940s | 102 | 3,380 |
| 1950s | 191 | 3,281 |
| 1960s | 1,145 | 1,171 |
| 1970s | 273 | 3,130 |
| 1980s | 590 | 2,340 |
| 1990s | 9,826 | 335 |
| 2000s | 29,283 | 238 |
| 2010s | 40,090 | 144 |
| 2020s | 19,416 | 179 |
Where Kennedy is heading
Kennedy has fallen 36% over the past decade, from 4,688 babies in 2015 to 3,019 in 2025.
Names like Kennedy
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Kennedy.