Kelly Unisex

Popularity: #639 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KEL-ee //ˈkɛli//

Origin: Irish; English

Meaning: Irish: 'warrior' or 'descendant of Ceallach'; English: 'bright-headed'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Kelly has its roots in the Irish surname "Ó Ceallaigh," which means "descendant of Ceallach." The name Ceallach itself is derived from the Old Irish word "ceall," meaning "church" or "monastery," suggesting a connection to religious or ecclesiastical heritage. The surname began to be used as a given name in the 20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries, as a result of the trend of adopting surnames as first names.

Historically, the name Kelly has been associated with various notable figures in Irish history. One significant milestone is the 17th-century figure of Kelly of Killane, a leader in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Additionally, the name appears in various forms in Irish folklore and literature, contributing to its cultural significance. The name gained further recognition through its use in literature and popular culture, particularly in the 20th century, as it was adopted by various characters in novels and films.

Culturally, Kelly has been embraced in various contexts, often symbolizing strength and resilience, traits associated with its historical roots. The name has also been linked to the idea of community and belonging, reflecting its origins in familial lineage.

The diminutive form "Kellie" has emerged as a variant, further enriching the name's cultural tapestry. Overall, Kelly's journey from an Irish surname to a widely recognized given name illustrates the dynamic interplay of language, culture, and history.

Famous people named Kelly

In this section, you will find notable people named Kelly. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Kelly who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Kelly who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Kelly Clarkson is a singer and songwriter best known for American Idol, Since U Been Gone, and Because of You.

Kelly Ripa is a television host and actress best known for Live! with Kelly and Ryan and All My Children.

Kelly Osbourne is a television personality and singer best known for The Osbournes, Fashion Police, and her music career.

Kelly Rowland is a singer and actress best known for being a member of Destiny's Child, Dilemma, and Motivation.

Kelly McGillis is an actress best known for Top Gun, Witness, and The Accused.

Kelly Preston was an actress best known for Jerry Maguire, Twins, and For Love of the Game.

Kelly Marie Tran is an actress best known for her role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Raya and the Last Dragon, and The Croods: A New Age.

Kelly Slater is a professional surfer best known for winning multiple World Surf League championships.

Kelly Hu is an actress and voice actress best known for her roles in The Scorpion King, X2: X-Men United, and as a voice in Batman: The Animated Series.

Fictional characters named Kelly

The following list of fictional characters named Kelly is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Kelly is a fictional character from the film Kelly's Heroes. She is a beautiful and resourceful woman who becomes involved with a group of soldiers during World War II.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Kelly, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

KatherineKylieKiraKelseyKaylaKimberly

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Kelly. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

KylieKaraKendraKaitlynKarlaKiraKeiraKassidy

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Kelly was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Kelly has ranked as high as #29 nationally, which occurred in 1968, and has been most popular in California, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Kelly has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Kelly is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Kelly was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Kelly.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 403 84 319
2024 421 109 312
2023 456 94 362
2022 469 122 347
2021 438 114 324
2020 476 110 366
2019 555 107 448
2018 589 103 486
2017 619 115 504
2016 723 118 605
2015 779 104 675
2014 845 105 740
2013 952 103 849
2012 998 106 892
2011 1,052 108 944
2010 1,162 101 1,061
2009 1,391 140 1,251
2008 1,512 113 1,399
2007 1,723 154 1,569
2006 1,750 139 1,611
2005 2,079 127 1,952
2004 2,517 160 2,357
2003 2,882 146 2,736
2002 3,037 185 2,852
2001 2,988 174 2,814
2000 3,279 202 3,077
1999 3,615 195 3,420
1998 3,943 240 3,703
1997 4,348 284 4,064
1996 5,073 339 4,734
1995 5,755 357 5,398
1994 5,831 385 5,446
1993 6,770 475 6,295
1992 7,546 534 7,012
1991 8,157 642 7,515
1990 8,824 687 8,137
1989 9,570 811 8,759
1988 9,657 740 8,917
1987 10,652 786 9,866
1986 11,284 873 10,411
1985 11,921 890 11,031
1984 12,201 985 11,216
1983 12,641 1,055 11,586
1982 13,440 1,270 12,170
1981 13,054 1,181 11,873
1980 14,893 1,183 13,710
1979 16,504 1,208 15,296
1978 18,284 1,308 16,976
1977 19,718 1,484 18,234
1976 13,331 1,540 11,791
1975 13,379 1,644 11,735
1974 12,609 1,758 10,851
1973 12,214 1,702 10,512
1972 12,861 1,917 10,944
1971 14,865 2,266 12,599
1970 17,101 2,494 14,607
1969 19,119 2,791 16,328
1968 20,197 3,059 17,138
1967 16,810 3,093 13,717
1966 16,026 2,784 13,242
1965 15,021 2,258 12,763
1964 14,962 2,492 12,470
1963 15,279 2,729 12,550
1962 14,385 2,855 11,530
1961 12,653 3,011 9,642
1960 11,607 2,934 8,673
1959 8,818 2,438 6,380
1958 6,770 2,299 4,471
1957 3,778 1,875 1,903
1956 2,298 1,468 830
1955 1,789 1,250 539
1954 1,418 965 453
1953 1,071 845 226
1952 1,101 805 296
1951 864 701 163
1950 585 488 97
1949 627 510 117
1948 462 379 83
1947 424 351 73
1946 334 283 51
1945 291 240 51
1944 335 275 60
1943 311 275 36
1942 285 249 36
1941 188 160 28
1940 166 142 24
1939 163 153 10
1938 155 137 18
1937 140 126 14
1936 151 138 13
1935 138 125 13
1934 155 144 11
1933 132 120 12
1932 119 105 14
1931 138 129 9
1930 130 117 13
1929 152 141 11
1928 139 128 11
1927 142 132 10
1926 135 123 12
1925 136 121 15
1924 135 125 10
1923 121 111 10
1922 154 141 13
1921 148 133 15
1920 132 121 11
1919 152 144 8
1918 132 118 14
1917 139 131 8
1916 99 90 9
1915 106 101 5
1914 103 92 11
1913 63 63 0
1912 64 57 7
1911 46 41 5
1910 52 46 6
1909 33 26 7
1908 30 25 5
1907 34 29 5
1906 20 20 0
1905 11 11 0
1904 13 13 0
1903 21 21 0
1902 16 16 0
1901 12 12 0
1900 33 33 0
1899 9 9 0
1898 10 10 0
1897 15 15 0
1896 14 14 0
1895 23 23 0
1894 12 12 0
1893 21 21 0
1892 18 18 0
1891 9 9 0
1890 11 11 0
1889 17 17 0
1888 10 10 0
1887 13 13 0
1886 16 16 0
1885 15 15 0
1884 10 10 0
1883 12 12 0
1882 13 13 0
1881 8 8 0
1880 5 5 0

Top States for Kelly (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 50
15%
TX 43
13%
FL 28
8%
NY 24
7%
NJ 22
7%
NC 18
5%
PA 17
5%
IL 15
5%
GA 13
4%
TN 13
4%
MO 13
4%
WA 10
3%
SC 9
3%
VA 9
3%
OH 8
2%
IN 8
2%
MD 7
2%
MN 7
2%
AZ 7
2%
CO 6
2%
CT 5
2%