Given name & surname
Kern
“having black hair”·“having dark features”
Kern is a variant of Kerry. One interpretation is “having black hair.” Kern is a variant of Kearn. One Irish interpretation is “having dark features.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Kern is a variant of Kerry. One interpretation is “having black hair.” Kern is a variant of Kearn. One Irish interpretation is “having dark features.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Kern is a variant of Kearn. An origin associated with Kearn is Irish.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kern through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 744
- 744 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1952
- 21 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2012. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 813 as a first name in 2020; 27,153 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kern’s family of names
Kern has a related form in Kerry. Kern has a related form in Kearn. In English usage, Kern as a surname has a related form in Kerin.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Around the world
Kern has relatives in 3 languages.
6 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Kerryvariant
- Kerinvariant · English
- Kearnvariant
- Kerrnlikely variant
- Kernnlikely variant
- Kernlevariant · German
- Keirnvariant · English
- Carnvariant · English
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Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Kern, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Ken
“born of fire” · “handsome, fair one”
>99% boys
Kemp
“the champion”
>99% boys
Karan
“one who is pure; chaste”
>99% boys
Keneth
>99% boys
Karon
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% boys
Carnell
“the defender of the castle”
>99% boys
Carlton
“from the free man's town”
>99% boys
Stevan
“crowned with garland”
>99% boys