David vs Kerry
David and Kerrycompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1978, David was ranked #2 and Kerry #326 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1956, David was ranked #3 and Kerry #93 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1977, David was ranked #4 and Kerry #100 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2010, David was ranked #64 and Kerry #4678 among boys in England and Wales.
David and Kerry over time
David and Kerry appear together in 2 published lists, across 32 years of shared records. David held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Kerry in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
David reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, and Kerry in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — David #1 in 1960, Kerry #55 in 1962.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 1954–1977
David held the stronger position in 23 of those years, Kerry in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #1 in 1960, Kerry #55 in 1962.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1977: David #4, Kerry #100.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 1996–2010
David held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Kerry in 0.
Highest recorded here: David #32 in 1996, Kerry #1578 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: David #64, Kerry #4678.
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 | David | Kerry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'beloved', with a possible secondary sense of 'uncle' for the root. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdeɪvɪd/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #45 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- David has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew); Kerry does not have one recorded yet.
- David and Kerry both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for David; Kerry doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
David
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #167 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1952–2018
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1961 (recorded 1952–2018).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #88 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys
Kerry
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #23 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1976
Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1956 (recorded 1952–1976).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls