Cooper vs Kennedy
Cooper and Kennedycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cooper was ranked #139 and Kennedy #2263 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Cooper was ranked #184 and Kennedy #713 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Cooper was ranked #3695 and Kennedy #1449 among girls in England and Wales.
Cooper and Kennedy over time
Cooper and Kennedy appear together in 2 published lists, across 39 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Mirrored each other
Over 27 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Cooper rose about as far as Kennedy fell — from #2022 and #1257 in 1997 to #139 and #2263 in 2024.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Cooper #2643 in 2019, Kennedy #992 in 2020.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys27 shared years, 1997–2024
Cooper held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Kennedy in 3.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #134 in 2019, Kennedy #1257 in 1997.
The order changed in 2002: Cooper moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #1425 and #1330; by 2002 that had become #907 and #1799.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cooper #139, Kennedy #2263.
England and Wales · Girls12 shared years, 2013–2024
Cooper held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Kennedy in 12.
Highest recorded here: Cooper #2643 in 2019, Kennedy #992 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cooper #3695, Kennedy #1449.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Cooper | Kennedy |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | An English occupational surname meaning 'barrel maker', from Middle English 'couper'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | English (occupational surname) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkup.əɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #19 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #885 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cooper has a recorded origin (English (occupational surname)); Kennedy does not have one recorded yet.
- Cooper has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Kennedy.
- A meaning is recorded for Cooper; Kennedy doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Cooper
Popularity journey
First recorded1997
First recorded at #2022 among boys in England and Wales in 1997 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded1998–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2009 (recorded 1998–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Kennedy
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #375 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded1998–2022
Highest recorded position: #351 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 1998 (recorded 1998–2022).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #885 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls