Total births
49,969
Unisex name · since 1921
Kerry
Kerry has 49,969 recorded births since 1921 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1960 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2686
- among boys today
- 49,969
- born since 1921
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
49,969 babies have been named Kerry since 1921, making it today's #2686 unisex name.
Kerry has 49,969 recorded births among boys since 1921, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #2686 as of the latest data, more common than 81% of boys, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1921 to 2025.
- #2686 among boys today
- 49,969 born since 1921
- 1960s peak decade
- 81% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kerry is currently the #2686 unisex name in America, more common than 81% of boys - 49,969 born since 1921, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2686
- among boys today
- 49,969
- born since 1921
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 81%
- more common than other boys
Kerry vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#2686
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 81% of names given to boys today.
1960s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Kerry was born in this single decade.
1960
Single peak year
2,176 babies were named Kerry in 1960 - its busiest year on record.
How Kerry compares
49,969 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Kerry's all-time total is 136x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kerry | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 49,969 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,176 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kerry's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kerry's full recorded timeline at 1973, 26% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 74% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1922, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1960 peak of 2,176 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kerry at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1960
Current rank
#2,686
Active since
1921
Kerry popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1921–2025
- Peak year (1960)
- 2,176
- Annual births at peak, across 105 years of records
Kerry popularity over time - girls
48,675 total births recorded since 1920 (Kerry as girls' name)
Kerry by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Kerry's strongest decade.
15,286 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Kerry births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 93
1920s
93 births
- 1930s 537
1930s
537 births
- 1940s 4,054
1940s
4,054 births
- 1950s
1950s
14,416 births
- 1960s
1960s
15,286 births
- 1970s
1970s
6,662 births
- 1980s 4,406
1980s
4,406 births
- 1990s 2,510
1990s
2,510 births
- 2000s 1,152
2000s
1,152 births
- 2010s 578
2010s
578 births
- 2020s 275
2020s
275 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 15,286 births (31% of all-time use).
How Kerry compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kerry's total volume
Kerry vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kerry by state
Where Kerry concentrates geographically, total births since 1921
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 4,284 | 8.6% |
| #2 | California | | 3,003 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 2,882 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 2,735 | 5.5% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 2,455 | 4.9% |
| #6 | New York | | 2,099 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 1,935 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,789 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Kerry's total US births 8.6%
Even split
4,284 of 49,969 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
Kerry appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kerry? ▼
49,969 babies have been named Kerry since 1921. It currently ranks #2686 among boys. The peak year was 1960 with 2,176 births.
When was Kerry most popular? ▼
Kerry was most popular in the 1960s decade with 15,286 total births. The single peak year was 1960.
Where is Kerry most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kerry are Texas (4,284 births), California (3,003 births), Pennsylvania (2,882 births).
Is Kerry a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kerry is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 49,969 births, and as a girl's name it has 48,675 births.
How long has the name Kerry been used? ▼
Records for Kerry go back to 1921, giving 105 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kerry? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kermit, Kerwin, Kervin, Keron, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kerry's data
- Kerry's decade-level peak was the 1960s (15,286 total births); usage has since declined to 275 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Kerrys (4,284 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kerry
Nearby Names Like Kerry
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kerry
Kermit Boy
16,445 births
Kerwin Boy
#6862 2,470 births
Kervin Boy
#6237 1,513 births
Keron Boy
#12701 970 births
Kerby Boy
#11104 884 births
Compare Kerry side by side: Kerry vs Kermit Kerry vs Kerwin Kerry vs Kervin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kerry
Sholom #2685
1,497 births · Peak 2020
Knight #2687
934 births · Peak 2022
Grayden #2684
2,175 births · Peak 2008
Waylan #2688
1,288 births · Peak 2023
Marcell #2683
4,862 births · Peak 1991
Olivier #2689
1,989 births · Peak 2011
Jody #2682
31,562 births · Peak 1971
Breck #2690
2,648 births · Peak 2016
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1921–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kerry: #2686 Unisex Name - 49,969 Births, Peak 1960." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kerry. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Kerry draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.