Can We Talk About Kennedy, The Baby Name?
It's a name associated with glamour and tragedy, but when did it become a popular choice for little girls?
Baby names come from everywhere: books, movies, tragic American families who loomed so large in history they were known for being the “Camelot era.” They don’t exactly make baby name books around that niche of a topic, but they don’t have to because the Social Security Administration already has the data — Kennedy is a baby name, and a pretty popular one at that. Since 2011, the name has been in the top 100 for girls (it’s also tracked for boys, but we’ll get into that in a bit) and has at least been in the top 1000 since 1994. It’s always interesting to see a baby name jump in data, going from obsolete to No. 524 for baby girls in a single year. However, it’s always pretty easy to follow the trail of baby name data to discover the source.
And the popularity of the baby girl name Kennedy can be traced right to a major event — the death of Jackie O.
Kennedy itself is an Irish name meaning “helmet-headed.” It gives off strong, traditional vibes, largely thanks to the huge Kennedy family that became a household name leading into President John F. Kennedy’s election and inauguration.
JFK was a senator from 1953 to 1960, winning a Pulitzer Prize during that time, and as his election began, he became known for being the young, charismatic Democrat with a beautiful wife and kids who also did well on television. He represented faith and unity, and it’s easy to see why Americans loved how family-oriented this second-oldest son out of nine children was.
But while Kennedy became a top 1000 baby boy name in 1960, it didn’t stay long. It jumped up 100 places between 1963 and 1964 — probably in tandem with the number of schools that renamed themselves in honor of JFK — before falling off completely in 1968. Then, it made a comeback in... 1994.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis made a considerable name for herself after her husband’s death, becoming an absolute symbol of strength, glamour, and luxury. Her death in 1994 ushered in a wave of Kennedy nostalgia, with lots of commentary about the type of mother, wife, and person she was after her husband’s assassination.
And, clearly, the Kennedy vibes were right for everyone naming their baby.
For baby girls in 1994, Kennedy went from not even being in the top 1000 choices of baby names to No. 524. The next year? It hit No. 229 and continued to gain popularity. Kennedy also popped back into the top 1000 baby names for boys in 1994, going from obsolete to No. 923. (To be fair, Senator Ted Kennedy also beat Mitt Romney in a senate election in 1994, but I highly doubt anyone was naming their baby daughters after Ted.)
It was Jackie who made the name Kennedy popular again. Jackie O, who was remembered for wearing her pink suit stained with her husband’s blood through LBJ’s swearing-in onboard Air Force One, for ushering her young children through their father’s funeral as Jack-Jack gave a final salute, for living a life full of class and grace and devotion to her family.
Despite losing her husband, she remained part of the Kennedy family in a way that was endearing and heartbreaking and lovely. After all, it wasn’t the name Jacqueline that hit popular lists in 1994 (it had already been in the top 100 baby girl names since 1960) — it was Kennedy.
I thought maybe the name would’ve jumped again around 1999 with the death of her son JFK Jr. and his wife Carolyn, but nope. It was Jackie’s pull and influence there, and like most baby names, it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone wanted a child named after the Kennedys. Maybe they just heard her name a lot in the news, or maybe Ted on TV made them think twice about the surname as a first name. Maybe it just entered their brain through magazine covers at the grocery store checkout, and expectant moms rubbed their swollen bellies and thought, “Oh. Kennedy, that’s a nice name.”
Ultimately, it became just one more trend Jackie O got to set. After all, it’s 2024, and the experts say surnames as last names will always remain popular. Why not honor the Kennedy family with this beloved name that’s held steady for 30 years?
