Kerry comes from County Kerry in southwest Ireland, whose Irish name Ciarraí means "people of Ciar"; Ciar in turn means "dark", so the name is usually glossed as "dark-haired". It was a popular choice for boys and girls alike in the 1950s and 1960s and later became the name of the senator and secretary of state John Kerry. As a boys' name Kerry ranked number 1063 in 2000, peaked at number 973 in 2004 and has declined to number 2464 in 2025 with 55 boys.