The documented surname elements include head and ugly in Irish and Scottish Gaelic accounts. This concerns an older epithet, not a judgment about anyone bearing the modern given name. The licensed strength and helmeted glosses remain uncorroborated here.
Origin
English given name transferred from Irish and Scottish Gaelic surnames.
The entry documents surname transfer into modern personal-name use and distinguishes Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname histories.
English pronunciation
/ˈkɛnədi/
Recorded English personal-name reading, approximately KEN-uh-dee, with stress on the first syllable.
Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
Place
Year
Recorded usage
Published births
Rank
Notes
Canada
2025
Girls
113 · preliminary
278
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada
2025
Boys
6 · preliminary
2789
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France
2022
Girls
5 (rounded to 5)
6517
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
France
2025
Boys
5 (rounded to 5)
5680
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Girls
19
1584
Published ranks differ from ranks calculated over visible rows. Counts retained; automated trend labels withheld. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Boys
4
4275
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland
2022
Girls
3
418
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2025
Girls
3
780
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2013
Boys
3
687
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2025
Girls
3
885
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2016
Boys
3
713
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States
2025
Girls
2,933
85
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States
2025
Boys
86
1837
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Language of use: English
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry records unisex personal-name use. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Kennedy entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Kennedy&oldid=92475979. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Meaning: An older Gaelic epithet combining head and ugly.
Checked against cited source
The documented surname elements include head and ugly in Irish and Scottish Gaelic accounts. This concerns an older epithet, not a judgment about anyone bearing the modern given name. The licensed strength and helmeted glosses remain uncorroborated here. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Kennedy entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Kennedy&oldid=92475979. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: English given name transferred from Irish and Scottish Gaelic surnames.
Checked against cited source
The entry documents surname transfer into modern personal-name use and distinguishes Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname histories. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Kennedy entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Kennedy&oldid=92475979. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
English pronunciation: /ˈkɛnədi/
Checked against cited source
Recorded English personal-name reading, approximately KEN-uh-dee, with stress on the first syllable. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Kennedy entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Kennedy&oldid=92475979. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Syllables: 3 (this recorded English reading)
Checked against cited source
Three syllables in the documented English reading. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Kennedy entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Kennedy&oldid=92475979. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.