Kerry vs Mary
Kerry and Marycompared 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 Zealand · Girls
In 1978, Kerry was ranked #91 and Mary #73 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Kerry was ranked #834 and Mary #82 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1976, Kerry was ranked #97 and Mary #89 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Kerry was ranked #397 and Mary #129 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Kerry was ranked #4843 and Mary #337 among girls in England and Wales.
Kerry and Mary over time
Kerry and Mary appear together in 5 published lists, across 135 years of shared records. Mary held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Kerry in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Mary reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Kerry in 1. 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
Kerry and Mary changed places 8 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1952 and 1976, ending at #97 and #89.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 25 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Kerry and Mary averaged 8.4 places apart, ending at #97 and #89.
- Longest-running competitions
Kerry and Mary were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 46 years, from 1968 to 2020, ending at #834 and #82.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Kerry #136 in 1996, Mary #118 in 1997.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls46 shared years, 1968–2020
Kerry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mary in 46.
Highest recorded here: Kerry #149 in 2004, Mary #1 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Kerry #834, Mary #82.
England and Wales · Girls25 shared years, 1996–2024
Kerry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mary in 25.
Highest recorded here: Kerry #136 in 1996, Mary #118 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Kerry #4843, Mary #337.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls25 shared years, 1952–1976
Kerry held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Mary in 12.
Highest recorded here: Kerry #11 in 1956, Mary #19 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1976: Kerry #97, Mary #89.
New Zealand · Girls21 shared years, 1956–1978
Kerry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mary in 21.
Highest recorded here: Kerry #53 in 1960, Mary #11 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1978: Kerry #91, Mary #73.
Northern Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1997–2020
Kerry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Mary in 17.
Highest recorded here: Kerry #82 in 2002, Mary #53 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Kerry #397, Mary #129.
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 | Kerry | Mary |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #112 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Kerry and Mary both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
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
Mary
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #67 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #329 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls