The first name Kennedy
A girl’s name from Irish meaning “head”, “ugly”, “refuse”.
Pronounced /ˈkɛnədi/ 3 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Kennedy means “head”, “ugly”, “refuse” in Irish.
Borrowed from Irish Ó Cinnéidigh (ceann (“head”) + éidigh (“ugly”)) or Scottish Gaelic Ceannaideach (ceann (“head”) + aideach (“ugly”). Compare Kenneth and Irish eitigh (“refuse, reject”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 19 girls were named Kennedy, making it the 1,584th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 91 births (#357).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kennedy with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Kennedy at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,933 girls born in the United States were named Kennedy, the 85th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2015, when 4,523 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Kennedy in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Cannedy
- Kennady
Famous people named Kennedy
20 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Kennedy McMannAmerican actress, born 1996
- Kennedy BladesAmerican wrestler (born 2003)
- Kennedy McKinneyBoxer, born 1966
- John KennedyBrazilian footballer, born 2002
- Kennedy GossCanadian swimmer, born 1996
- Kennedy SummersAmerican model (born 1987)
- Kennedy ChandlerAmerican basketball player (born 2002)
- Kennedy LeighAmerican pornographic actress, born 1994
- Kennedy FullerAmerican association football player, born 2007
- Brian KennedyAmerican musician, songwriter and record producer, born 1983
- Kennedy WinstonAmerican professional basketball player, born 1984
- Kennedy OchiengAthletics competitor from Kenya, born 1971
More Irish girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Kennedy mean?
- Kennedy means “head”, “ugly”, “refuse” in Irish.
- What is the origin of the name Kennedy?
- Borrowed from Irish Ó Cinnéidigh (ceann (“head”) + éidigh (“ugly”)) or Scottish Gaelic Ceannaideach (ceann (“head”) + aideach (“ugly”). Compare Kenneth and Irish eitigh (“refuse, reject”).
- How popular is the name Kennedy?
- In 2025, 19 girls born in England and Wales were named Kennedy, ranking 1,584th. Its peak was 1997, with 91 births.
- Is Kennedy a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 101,120 US babies named Kennedy since 1880, 93% were girls and 7% boys.
- When was Kennedy most popular?
- 2015 in the United States, when 4,523 babies were named Kennedy, its highest rank at 58th.
- How do you pronounce Kennedy?
- Kennedy is /ˈkɛnədi/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Kennedy?
- Cannedy and Kennady.
- Is Kennedy also a surname?
- Yes. Kennedy is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.