Kennedy
Kennedy is a unisex name of Irish origin meaning “helmeted chief; misshapen head.” It ranked #85 in the United States in 2025. From the Irish Gaelic Cinnéidigh (ceann = head, éidigh = ugly or helmeted).
how do you pronounce Kennedy?
KEN-eh-dee
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Kennedy mean?
The name Kennedy means “helmeted chief; misshapen head.” It comes from the Irish language tradition.
From the Irish Gaelic Cinnéidigh (ceann = head, éidigh = ugly or helmeted). The Kennedy surname became globally iconic through President John F. Kennedy and his family, making this name a patriotic and aspirational choice in the U.S.
where does the name Kennedy come from?
An anglicisation of an Irish masculine given name, generally given as Ó Cinnéidigh or Ceannaideach. The parsing usually offered is ceann, meaning head, with a second element read as helmeted or misshapen — but the readings differ between sources and Wiktionary offers a comparison with a word meaning to refuse or reject, so the sense is not settled.
the history of Kennedy
Wikipedia records Kennedy as a unisex given name in English, anglicised from the Irish masculine original. The surname's global recognition comes from the American political family, and its subsequent use as a girls' given name in the United States follows from that rather than from any Irish precedent.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #85 |
| 2024 | #89 |
| 2023 | #72 |
| 2022 | #74 |
| 2021 | #70 |
| 2020 | #72 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Kennedy?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Kennedy?
- John F. Kennedy (U.S. president)
- Kennedy McMann (actress)
what names are similar to Kennedy?
what names go well with Kennedy?
Sibling names that share Kennedy's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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