Kerry vs Patrick
Kerry and Patrickcompared 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, Kerry was ranked #326 and Patrick #5 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1956, Kerry was ranked #93 and Patrick #53 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 1977, Kerry was ranked #100 and Patrick #70 among boys in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2010, Kerry was ranked #4678 and Patrick #126 among boys in England and Wales.
Kerry and Patrick over time
Kerry and Patrick appear together in 2 published lists, across 32 years of shared records. Patrick 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.
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.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New Zealand · Boys, Kerry and Patrick averaged 11.0 places apart, ending at #100 and #70.
List by list
New Zealand · Boys23 shared years, 1954–1977
Kerry held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Patrick in 22.
Highest recorded here: Kerry #55 in 1962, Patrick #45 in 1967.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1977: Kerry #100, Patrick #70.
England and Wales · Boys9 shared years, 1996–2010
Kerry held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Patrick in 9.
Highest recorded here: Kerry #1578 in 1997, Patrick #66 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Kerry #4678, Patrick #126.
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 | Patrick |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Latin Patricius, meaning 'nobleman, patrician'. Adopted by Saint Patrick (originally named Sucat), a Romanized Briton who Christianized Ireland and became its patron saint. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Latin |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈpæt.ɹɪk/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Pádraig, Pádraic |
| 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 · Boys #25 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Patrick has a recorded origin (Latin); Kerry does not have one recorded yet.
- Kerry and Patrick both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Patrick; Kerry doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
- The available evidence gives Kerry a "medium" Data Confidence level and Patrick a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
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
Patrick
Popularity journey
First recorded1948
First recorded at #315 among boys in Norway in 1948 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #83 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys