Jennifer vs Kerry
Jennifer 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1976, Jennifer was ranked #12 and Kerry #97 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1978, Jennifer was ranked #18 and Kerry #91 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2015, Jennifer was ranked #269 and Kerry #358 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jennifer was ranked #483 and Kerry #4843 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Jennifer was ranked #495 and Kerry #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Jennifer and Kerry over time
Jennifer and Kerry appear together in 5 published lists, across 134 years of shared records. Jennifer held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Kerry in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Jennifer reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jennifer and Kerry changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2015, ending at #269 and #358.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Jennifer and Kerry averaged 37.8 places apart, ending at #12 and #97.
- Longest-running competitions
Jennifer and Kerry were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1968 to 2020, ending at #495 and #834.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Jennifer #54 in 1996, Kerry #136 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1968–2020
Jennifer held the stronger position in 46 of those years, Kerry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #4 in 1981, Kerry #149 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Jennifer #495, Kerry #834.
England and Wales · Girls25 shared years, 1996–2024
Jennifer held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Kerry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #54 in 1996, Kerry #136 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jennifer #483, Kerry #4843.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls25 shared years, 1952–1976
Jennifer held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Kerry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #1 in 1956, Kerry #11 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1976: Jennifer #12, Kerry #97.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 1956–1978
Jennifer held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Kerry in 0.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #4 in 1957, Kerry #53 in 1960.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1978: Jennifer #18, Kerry #91.
Northern Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1997–2015
Jennifer held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Kerry in 3.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #55 in 1997, Kerry #82 in 2002.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2015: Jennifer #269, Kerry #358.
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 | Jennifer | Kerry |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | Used for both boys and girls |
| Meaning | From a Cornish form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), combining 'gwyn' and 'hwyfar'. Confined mainly to Cornwall until George Bernard Shaw's 1906 play The Doctor's Dilemma sparked wider adoption. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Welsh, via Cornish transmission | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.fəɹ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 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 · Girls #413 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jennifer has a recorded origin (Welsh, via Cornish transmission); Kerry does not have one recorded yet.
- Jennifer has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Kerry.
- A meaning is recorded for Jennifer; 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
Jennifer
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #331 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–2003
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1956 (recorded 1952–2003).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #650 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
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