Named after Daniel Kirkwood - American astronomer (1814-1895).
Kirkwood is a well-formed lunar impact crater on the far side , on the northern hemisphere. It lies just to the northeast of the crater Sommerfeld, and Hippocrates is located to the east-northeast. The perimeter of this crater is generally circular, with a few slight outward notches particularly to the southeast. It displays very little appearance of wear, and neither the interior nor the outer rampart are marked by any craters of note. (wikipedia entry)
A crater is a circular depression likely created by an impact event. On the Moon they are named after deceased scientists, polar explorers, astronauts or cosmonauts.