Kerry or Kerri is a

unisex Unisex is an adjective indicating something is not sex-specific, i.e. is suitable for any type of sex. The term can also mean gender-blindness or gender neutrality. The term 'unisex' was coined in the 1960s and was used fairly informally. The co ...

English language English is a West Germanic language that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

of Gaelic (Irish) origin. In its original form Ciarraighe (''Ciarraí''), it denoted ''the kingdom of Ciar'' (''ciar raighe''), Ciar being the son of Fergus mac Róich, who gave his name to

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

. Ciarraighe was thus the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in the area of what is now County Kerry. However, branches of the Ciarraighe were all over Ireland: * Ciarraige Luachra - in what is now north

and Sliabh Luachra, both named after them. * Ciarraige Cuirche - due south of what is now

Cork City Cork ( ; from , meaning 'marsh') is the second-largest city in Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the county town of County Cork, the largest city in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the List of settlements on the island of Ireland ...

, in

Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...

. * Ciarraige Áei - on the plains of central

County Roscommon County Roscommon () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the province of Connacht and the Northern and Western Region. It is the List of Irish counties by area, 11th largest Irish county by area and Li ...

, in

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

. * Ciarraighe Locha na nÁirne - in eastern

County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...

. * Ciarraige Airtech - on Magh nAirtig (plain of Airtig, northwest

, parish of Tibohine. * Ciarraige Broengair - location uncertain. The Múscraige ''Breogain'' were found south-west of

Cashel Cashel (an Anglicised form of the Irish language word ''Caiseal'', meaning "stone fort") may refer to: Places in Ireland *Cashel, County Tipperary **The Rock of Cashel, an ancient, hilltop fortress complex for which Cashel is named ** Archbishop ...

. * Ciarraige Choinnend - location uncertain. * Ciarraige Trimaige - location uncertain. * Ciarraige Aidhne - in Aidhne, now south

County Galway County Galway ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region, taking up the south of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. The county population was 276,451 at the 20 ...

Notable people with the name

Acting, presenting, and radio

* Kerry Bishé, actress * Kerry Fox (born 1966), New Zealand actress * Kerry Godliman (born 1973), English actress and comedian * Kerri Green, American actress * Kerri Kasem, an American radio and television host * Kerri Kendall, an American model and actress * Kerri-Anne Kennerley, an Australian television presenter * Kerri Kenney-Silver, an American comedian, actress, singer and writer * Kerry LaiFatt, Canadian actress * Kerry Rossall, American stuntman and actor *

Kerry Shale Kerry Shale (born 4 June 1952) is a Canadian actor based in London, England. His BBC Radio 4 comedy-drama ''The Kubrick Test'' was broadcast in 2020. He is the co-host of ''Is It Rolling, Bob? Talking Dylan'', a podcast about Bob Dylan ...

, Canadian actor, voice artist and writer *

Kerry Washington Kerry Marisa Washington (born January 31, 1977) SidebarCertificate of Live Birth: Isabelle Amarachi Asomugha(County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health). Gives Kerry Washington birth dateArchivedfrom the original on May 2, 2016.Note: Fil ...

, American actress

Politics

* Kerry J. Donley (1956-2022), American politician * Kerry Healey (born 1960), American politician, former Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts * Kerry Underwood, member of the

Alabama House of Representatives The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal number of districts, with ...

Music

* Kerry Alexander, lead singer of the Minnesota-based band Bad Bad Hats * Kerri Chandler, producer of house music *

Kerry Ellis Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...

, an English singer and stage actress * Kerry Katona, pop singer * Kerry King, guitarist for thrash metal band Slayer * Kerry Livgren, a founding member of the progressive rock band Kansas * Kerry Marx, American guitarist and Music Director of the Grand Ole Opry * Kerry McGregor (1974–2012), Scottish singer-songwriter and actress

Sport

* Kerry Blackshear Jr. (born 1997), American basketball player in the

Israeli Basketball Premier League Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...

* Kerry Brown (wrestler), Canadian professional wrestler * Kerri Buchberger, Canadian volleyball player * Kerry Carpenter, American baseball player * Kerry Collins, American football player * Kerry Dixon, English soccer player * Kerri Gallagher (born 1989), American middle-distance runner * Kerry Joyce, South African gymnast, All-Africa champion * Kerry Kittles, American basketball player * Kerry Ligtenberg, American baseball player * Kerry O'Brien (athlete), Australian middle-distance runner * Kerri Pottharst, Australian beach volleyball player * Kerry Reid, Australian tennis player * Kerri Strug, American gymnast *

Kerry Von Erich Kerry Gene Adkisson (February 3, 1960 – February 18, 1993), better known by his ring name Kerry Von Erich, was an American professional wrestler. He was part of the Von Erich family of professional wrestlers. He is best known for his time with ...

, American professional wrestler * Kerri Walsh, American beach volleyball player * Kerry Wood, American baseball player

Other fields

* Kerry Gammill, American comic book artist *

Kerri Greenidge Kerri K. Greenidge is an American historian and academic. Her book ''Black Radical: The Life and Times of William Monroe Trotter'', a biography of civil rights activist William Monroe Trotter, won the 2020 Mark Lynton History Prize. Her sisters ar ...

, American historian and academic * Kerri Hoskins, former glamour model * Kerrie Hughes, New Zealand fashion designer * Kerry G. Johnson, graphic designer, caricature artist * Kerry Joyce, American interior designer and product designer * Kerry McCluggage, owner and president of Craftsman Films * Kerry Mitchell, American artist *

Kerry Packer Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling ...

, Australian media magnate * Kerri Sakamoto, Canadian novelist

Surname

* Alexandra Kerry, (born 1973), American filmmaker * Cameron Kerry, born 1950), son of Richard John Kerry, American politician * Charles Kerry, (1857–1928), photographer *

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017 in the Presidency of Barack Obama#Administration, administration of Barac ...

, (born 1943), United States politician and former secretary of state, son of Richard John Kerry * Matilda Kerry, Nigerian physician * Richard John Kerry, (1915 –2000), American Foreign Service officer and lawyer * Rosemary Forbes Kerry, one of 11 children of James Grant Forbes of the Forbes family, wife of Richard John Kerry * Vanessa Kerry, (born 1976), American physician and health care administrator

References

{{surname, Kerry English unisex given names English-language unisex given names Irish unisex given names Irish-language unisex given names