Kennedy, alternately O'Kennedy and Kennedie, is a surname of Irish and Scottish origin that has also been used as a given name.
There have been several different etymologies given for the surname. One is that the name is an Anglicisation of the Gaelic Ó Ceannéidigh meaning "grandson of Ceannéidigh". Ceannéidigh is a given name derived from the Gaelic words ceann, meaning "head", and éidigh, meaning "ugly". In some etymologies, the element ceann is given as "chief" or "leader". Another possibility is that Kennedy is an Anglicisation of Ó Cinnéide, meaning "grandson of Cinnédidh" or "grandson of Cinnéidigh", with both of these personal names meaning "helmet headed." Ceanéidigh could be related to the old Gaelic name Cennétig, which is known from Cennétig Mac Lorcáin, the father of the Irish high king Brian mac Cennétig, who himself was also known as Brian Bóruma or Brian Boru. There are also an Irish Kennedy family and a Scottish Kennedy clan of Carrick in Ayrshire, which are unrelated to one another.
Caroline Kennedy (born 1957), attorney; daughter of John and Jacqueline Kennedy
Ted Kennedy (1932–2009), senior US senator from Massachusetts, married twice and father of three
Ethel Kennedy (born 1928), widow of Robert Francis Kennedy and mother of Joseph Patrick Kennedy II, Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. and other nine
Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921–2009), sister of President John F. Kennedy; wife of Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929–1994), First Lady of the United States; widow of John F. Kennedy
Jean Kennedy Smith (born 1928), ambassador to Ireland; sister of President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th President of the United States
John F. Kennedy, Jr. (1960–1999), attorney, publisher; son of John and Jacqueline
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. (1888–1969), former Ambassador to the United Kingdom; father of President John F. Kennedy
Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (1915–1944), WWII pilot; eldest son of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Joseph P. Kennedy II (born 1952), former US representative from Massachusetts; son of Robert F. Kennedy
Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness of Hartington (1920–1948), widow of the heir to the Devonshire dukedom; sister of President John F. Kennedy
Patrick J. Kennedy (born 1967), US representative from Rhode Island, son of Ted Kennedy
Patricia Kennedy Lawford (1924–2006), sister of president John F. Kennedy, wife of Peter Lawford and mother of four
Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968), US senator from New York; US Attorney General
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (born 1954), attorney, environmentalist, activist
Rose Kennedy (1890–1995), Kennedy family matriarch; mother of President John F. Kennedy
Rosemary Kennedy (1918–2005), oldest sister of President John F. Kennedy
In arts and entertainment
Kennedy, American musician
A. L. Kennedy (Alison Louise Kennedy, born 1965), Scottish novelist
Adam Kennedy (actor) (1922–1997), actor, screenwriter, novelist, painter
Andrew Karpati Kennedy (1931–2016), author and literary critic
Arthur Kennedy (actor) (1914–1990), American actor
Betty Kennedy, retired Canadian senator, television personality
Bill Kennedy (actor) (1908–1997), American actor and television personality
Carl Kennedy, stage actor
Cory Kennedy, American Internet celebrity
Darren Kennedy, Irish television presenter, fashion writer and stylist
Douglas Kennedy, UK-based American novelist
Edgar Kennedy (1890–1948), American actor
George Kennedy (1925–2016), American actor
Graeme K. (Graeme Kennedy), American musician
Graham Kennedy, Australian comedian and television presenter
Jamie Kennedy, American comedian and actor
Jon Kennedy, British drummer and electronic musician
Kathleen Kennedy (film producer) (born 1953), film producer
Lena Kennedy, English romantic novelist
Leon S. Kennedy, frequent character in the Resident Evil franchise
Lisa Kennedy Montgomery (born 1972), stage name Kennedy, American political satirist and former MTV VJ
Lucy Napaljarri Kennedy, indigenous Australian artist
Ludovic Kennedy, British journalist, broadcaster, and author
Margaret Kennedy (1896–1967), English novelist
Mary Kennedy, Irish television personality
Merna Kennedy (1908–1944), American actress
Mr. Kennedy, the ring name used by American professional wrestler Ken Anderson (born 1976) during his time in WWE
Myles Kennedy (born 1969), American rock singer and guitarist
Nigel Kennedy, English violinist
Patrick Kennedy, British theatre director
Sarah Kennedy British television and radio broadcaster
Sean J. Kennedy American drumset player, percussionist, author and educator
Sheila Kennedy, Penthouse model in the early 1980s
Sheila Kennedy (architect) American architect
Tom Kennedy (television presenter) (born 1927), stage name of American game show host James Narz
William Kennedy (author) (born 1928), American writer and journalist
William J. Kennedy, American writer, winner of the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for fiction
In politics and government
Alfred J. Kennedy (1877–1944), New York politician
Ambrose Jerome Kennedy, American politician
Anthony Kennedy, US Supreme Court Associate Justice
Arthur Kennedy, British colonial administrator
Betty Kennedy, retired Canadian senator, television personality
Charles Kennedy, Scottish politician, former leader of the Liberal Democrats
Claudia J. Kennedy, first female lieutenant general in the US Army, noted intelligence officer
David Kennedy (Australian politician) (born 1940), Australian politician
David M. Kennedy, 60th Secretary of the Treasury of the United States of America, and US Ambassador to NATO
Edward Joseph Kennedy (born 1851), Irish nationalist politician, Member of Parliament for South Sligo
Gerard Kennedy, Canadian politician
Helena Kennedy, Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, Scottish barrister, writer and politician
Hiram Raleigh Kennedy, American politician
John Neely Kennedy, Louisiana United States Senator and Republican politician
John Pendleton Kennedy (born 1795), Maryland author and politician, Secretary of the Navy in the Filmore administration
Leland T. Kennedy, US Air Force pilot twice awarded the Air Force Cross
Mark Kennedy, British undercover policeman
Mark Kennedy, American politician
Neil Kennedy, Lord Kennedy (1854–1918), was a Scottish advocate and legal academic, Chairman of the Scottish Land Court 1912–18
Nigel Kennedy (politician) (1889–1964), British barrister, army officer and politician
Sir Paul Kennedy, British judge
Seema Kennedy (born 1974), British Conservative Party politician, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Ribble since May 2015
Thomas Laird Kennedy, Premier of Ontario (1948–1949)
Adam Kennedy, Major League Baseball player
Allan Kennedy (born 1958), Canadian-born American football player
Ben Kennedy, Australian rugby league footballer
Bob Kennedy, Major League Baseball player and manager
Bob Kennedy (1921–2010), American football player
Bob Kennedy (1928–1991), American football player
Bob Kennedy, distance runner
Callum Kennedy, English footballer
Clem Kennedy, Australian rugby league footballer
Cortez Kennedy, American football player
Courtney Kennedy, dual Olympic medal winner in women's ice hockey
Dave Kennedy (footballer) (born 1949), English footballer
David Kennedy (racing driver) (born 1953), Irish racing driver
Edward Shirley Kennedy, British alpinist
Fred Kennedy (1902–1963) English football player.
Gilbert G. Kennedy (1844–1909), Scottish footballer
Ian Kennedy (born 1984), American baseball player
Jim Kennedy, American baseball player, brother of Junior Kennedy
Joshua Kennedy, Australian soccer player
Junior Kennedy, American baseball player, brother of Jim Kennedy
Kenneth Kennedy, the first Winter Olympian for Australia
Kevin Kennedy (baseball) (born 1954), American baseball manager and broadcaster
Marcus Kennedy, American basketball player
Mark Kennedy, Irish football (soccer) player
Mike Kennedy, American college baseball coach
Nery Kennedy, Paraguayan javelin thrower
Nick Kennedy, English rugby player
Pat Kennedy, American college basketball coach
Patrick Kennedy (swimmer) (born 1964), American swimmer
Ray Kennedy, English footballer
Ron Kennedy (1953–2009), Canadian ice hockey player
Simon Kennedy (born 1967), English sports agent
Ted Kennedy (ice hockey) (1925–2009), Canadian ice hockey player
Tim Kennedy, mixed martial arts fighter
Tim Kennedy, hockey player
Adrian Kennedy, Irish radio host
Alexander Kennedy, British civil engineer
Benjamin Hall Kennedy, English classical scholar
Betty Ann Kennedy, American bridge player
D. James Kennedy, American Presbyterian pastor and theologian
Diane Kennedy, American CPA, speaker, financial writer
Donald Kennedy, American scientist, public administrator, and academic
Duncan Kennedy, Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence, Harvard Law School
Edmund Kennedy, Australian explorer
Edward Kennedy, American journalist who first reported the German surrender in World War II
Edward Stewart Kennedy, American historian of science
Ian Kennedy, Irish landscape architect
Joseph W. Kennedy, American physicist
Jonny Kennedy, subject of the documentary The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off
Kathryn Kennedy, California wine maker
Margrit Kennedy, German architect and author
Myles Burton Kennedy, Furness ironmaster
Paul Kennedy, British historian of international relations
Rita Shugart, née Kennedy, American bridge player
Stetson Kennedy (1916–2011), American human rights activist and folklore collector
Thomas Francis Kennedy (bishop) (1858–1917), American Catholic archbishop
Alan Kennedy, several people
Andrew Kennedy, several people
Arthur Kennedy, several people
Jack Kennedy, several people
James Kennedy, several people
John Kennedy, several people
Martin Kennedy, several people
Matthew Kennedy, several people
Terry Kennedy, several people
Walter Kennedy, several people
