Given name & surname
Kerrigan
“having black hair”
Kerrigan is a variant of Kerry. One interpretation is “having black hair.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Kerrigan is a variant of Kerry. One interpretation is “having black hair.”
Explained through its name family
How it developed
From Irish Ó Ciaragáin (“grandson/descendant of Ciaragán”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1972. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kerrigan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,571
- 111 boys · 2,460 girls
- Most popular year
- 2013
- 119 babies
- 2025
- 36
- #4,608 for girls · #11,379 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −48%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 30 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 4,608 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 45.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 118 in 2012. It also appeared in 6 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Illinois had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (5). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,283 as a first name in 2020; 5,346 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.
Kerrigan’s family of names
Kerrigan has a related form in Kerry.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Kerrigan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Callihan
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Connelly
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Keira
“little dark-haired one” · “having dark features; the little dark one”
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Faraday
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“descendant of Angus”
3% boys · 97% girls
Madigan
“descendant of Madagán”
>99% girls
Caitlyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls