Declining since 2015, #707 for girls today.
Popularity of Kennedi since 1989
Babies named Kennedi per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 961 |
| 2000s | 4,484 |
| 2010s | 7,083 |
| 2020s | 3,004 |
Meaning & origin
Kennedi entered the U.S. baby name charts in 1989 as a respelling of the well-established surname-turned-first-name Kennedy. It reached its peak popularity in 2015, ranking in the top 700, but by 2025 it had declined to rank 707, with roughly 1 in 4,038 girls receiving the name. The trajectory has been steadily falling since 2015. Kennedi is most popular in states such as Delaware, West Virginia, and Louisiana, reflecting its appeal in the South and Mid-Atlantic. The spelling variant, with its distinctive 'i' ending, modernizes the traditional Kennedy while keeping the same Irish derivation and meaning. Though less common than the standard Kennedy, Kennedi offers a fresh take on a familiar name.
Kennedi is a phonetic respelling of the Irish surname Kennedy, which is an anglicization of Ó Cinnéidigh, meaning 'descendant of Cinnéidigh'. The personal name Cinnéidigh is derived from ceann 'head' and éidigh 'ugly, misshapen', often interpreted as 'helmeted head'. The name began to be used as a given name in the United States in the late 20th century, gaining popularity in the 1990s and 2000s. The respelling Kennedi became a variant to modernize the name and feminize its appearance.
Where Kennedi is most popular
Births per 100,000 girls by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kenna, Keni, DiDi
Sibling names for Kennedi
Names that share Kennedi's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Kennedi
Names whose popularity has moved with Kennedi's over the last 50 years.
