← All names

Kerryn

Girl name · 21 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Kerryn: 21 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to girls, peaking at 4 births in 1995.

Kerryn is a feminine name with both English and Irish roots. It often functions as a respelling of Karen, which derives from the Danish form of Katherine—ultimately from the Greek *Aikaterinē*, meaning "pure." Alternatively, Kerryn can be a variant of the Irish masculine name Ciaran, meaning "little dark one." One famous bearer is Australian singer Kerryn Tolhurst, a founding member of the country-rock band The Dingoes. While no major places are directly named after Kerryn, the name shares its root with the River Kelvyn in Glasgow, which derives from a similar Celtic word for "narrow stream." A further note: Kerryn enjoyed modest popularity in Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s, but has since become a rare choice.