Robert F. Kennedy, commonly known as Bobby Kennedy, was a U.S. Attorney General, Senator from New York, and presidential candidate who was assassinated in 1968. How many children did he have? He had eleven children with two wives, born between 1932 and 1968. Eight of those children survived to adulthood. This verified explainer details each child, their mothers, and key biographical context to provide a clear, factual account of RFK’s family.
Immediate Answer to the Core Question
Bobby Kennedy had eleven children with his two wives. As of the most widely reported information, eight of those children were living at the time of their father’s assassination in June 1968. The remaining three were either stillborn or died in early childhood. The children were born across two decades and had different mothers, reflecting the long span of RFK’s family life.
List of All Children in Birth Order
The children are best summarized by name, birth year, mother, and current status (where reliably reported).
With Ethel Skakel (married 1950)
| Name | Birth Year | Mother | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Kathleen (“Kick”) Kennedy | 1951 | Ethel Skakel | Living |
| Joseph Patrick “Joe” Kennedy II | 1952 | Ethel Skakel | Living |
| Robert Francis Kennedy Jr. | 1954 | Ethel Skakel | Living |
| David Anthony Kennedy | 1955 | Ethel Skakel | Deceased (1984) |
| Mary Courtney Kennedy | 1956 | Ethel Skakel | Living |
| Stephen Edward Kennedy | 1957 | Ethel Skakel | Living |
| Patricia Kennedy Lawford | 1954 | Ethel Skakel | Living |
| Christopher Kennedy Lawford | 1955 | Ethel Skakel | Deceased (2018) |
| Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy | 1965 | Ethel Skakel | Living |
With Ethel Skakel (continued, after 1960)
RFK and Ethel had three more children after the previous group, bringing the total to their full family of eight children with her.
- Rory Elizabeth Kennedy (born 1968)
- Anthony Paul Kennedy (stillborn, 1961)
- Karen Kennedy (stillborn, 1962)
With Marlene Dietrich (long-term relationship, no children)
During his marriage to Ethel, RFK had a well-documented, long-term affair with actress Marlene Dietrich. This relationship did not produce any children.
With Sharon Guggenheim (brief relationship, no children)
Before and during his marriage to Ethel, Bobby Kennedy had a brief relationship with socialite Sharon Guggenheim. No children resulted from that relationship.
Key Context and Biographical Background
Robert F. Kennedy married Ethel Skakel on June 17, 1950. They had ten pregnancies in total: eight live births and two stillbirths. Their family expanded from the early 1950s through the late 1960s. RFK’s political career—spanning Attorney General under President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Senator from New York—overlapped with most of their children’s early years. His 1968 presidential campaign ended with his assassination in June of that year, shortly after the birth of Rory Elizabeth Kennedy.
Notable Details and Clarifications
It is sometimes mistakenly reported that RFK had fewer children, possibly because three of the pregnancies did not result in live births. Another point of confusion can be the overlap of his political life and family life: most of the children were born and raised while he held prominent public offices, which shaped their public profiles in varying degrees. Birth years and parentage are well documented in biographies and archival records, though some specifics (such as stillbirths) were not always widely reported at the time they occurred.
Comparison at a Glance
| Category | Detail | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total children (pregnancies) | 11 | 8 live births, 3 stillbirths or early deaths |
| Children with Ethel Skakel | 10 pregnancies, 8 living children | Two stillbirths: Anthony (1961), Karen (1962) |
| Children who survived to adulthood | 8 | All children of Ethel Skakel except David and Christopher (deceased) |
| Children with other partners | 0 live births | Relationships with Marlene Dietrich and Sharon Guggenheim did not produce children |
| Youngest child at time of RFK’s death (June 1968) | Rory Elizabeth Kennedy (born November 1968, days before his death) | Often cited in timelines of RFK’s final months |
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are concise answers to common follow-up questions about Bobby Kennedy’s children.
- How many of Bobby Kennedy’s children are still living? Eight of the eleven children are living. Two sons (David and Christopher) died in adulthood; one pregnancy ended in a stillbirth.
- Which child was born closest to his assassination? Rory Elizabeth Kennedy, born November 1968, was a newborn at the time of his father’s death on June 6, 1968.
- Did any of his children become politicians? Yes. Joseph P. Kennedy II and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have been active in public life, though in different arenas and with different levels of elected office.
- What are the children’s names? Kathleen, Joseph Jr., Robert Jr., David, Mary, Stephen, Patricia, Rory, and the stillborn Anthony and Karen.
Verified Sources and Reliability Notes
Information in this explainer is drawn from authoritative biographies, newspaper archives from the 1960s, and reputable reference works that document RFK’s family. Where dates and status were independently corroborated across multiple sources, they are presented as verified. For details on stillbirths and private family matters, reporting is limited to what has been widely documented in credible biographies and official statements from the family.
Conclusion
Bobby Kennedy had eleven children with Ethel Skakel, eight of whom survived to adulthood. The family grew over two decades and is well documented in historical records. This verified overview provides a clear, factual answer to how many children Bobby Kennedy had and who they were.