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    The first name Kermit

    A boy’s name from Manx meaning “son of dermot”.

    Pronounced /ˈkɝmɪt/ 2 syllables Male

    Meaning and origin

    Manx origin

    Kermit means “son of dermot” in Manx.

    Variant of English and Manx Kermode, cognate with Irish Mac Diarmata and Scots Gaelic McDiarmid (“son of Dermot”). Popularized in the US by the naming of Kermit Roosevelt (after a Manx ancestor). The computing sense is named after the Sesame Street character, but later provided with a backronym ("KL10 Error-Free Reciprocal Microprocessor Interchange over TTY").

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Kermit at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 6 boys born in the United States were named Kermit, the 11,378th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1919, when 431 were.

    0250500 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    16,472
    babies named Kermit since 1880
    #11,378
    rank in 2025
    1919
    peak year

    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.

    Famous people named Kermit

    6 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Kermit Washington
      American basketball player (born 1951)
    • Kermit Gosnell
      American serial killer (1941-2026)
    • Kermit Maynard
      Actor, stunt performer (1897-1971)
    • Kermit Beahan
      Bombardier who dropped atomic bomb on Nagasaki, 1918–1989
    • Kermit Roosevelt Jr.
      American intelligence officer (1916–2000)
    • Edith Roosevelt
      First Lady of the United States from 1901 to 1909

    Questions

    What does the name Kermit mean?
    Kermit means “son of dermot” in Manx.
    What is the origin of the name Kermit?
    Variant of English and Manx Kermode, cognate with Irish Mac Diarmata and Scots Gaelic McDiarmid (“son of Dermot”). Popularized in the US by the naming of Kermit Roosevelt (after a Manx ancestor). The computing sense is named after the Sesame Street character, but later provided with a backronym…
    Is Kermit a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 16,472 US babies named Kermit since 1880 were boys.
    When was Kermit most popular?
    1919 in the United States, when 431 babies were named Kermit, its highest rank at 256th.
    How do you pronounce Kermit?
    Kermit is /ˈkɝmɪt/, 2 syllables.