Kelley - A very unique female name
Kelley at a glance
Kelley is ranked #4696 among girl baby names in 2014, with 6 births in 2014. It peaked in 1968 at #168 and first appeared on the charts in 1950.
- Rank in 2014
- #4696
- Births in 2014
- 6
- Peak year
- 1968 (#168)
- First appeared
- 1950
- Trend
- #3278 in 2009 → #4696 in 2014 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 243,582 girls
- Visitor rating
- 5.0/5 (3 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 243,582 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kelley peaked in popularity 58 years ago in 1968 on position 168.
Famous with this name
Nathalie Kelley
DeForest Kelley
Sheila Kelley
How would you rate Kelley, 1-5?
Kelley is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Kelley is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #3,037 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #3,037.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Kelley is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Kelley origin and meaning
Irish — variant of Kelly
The -ey spelling of Kelley / Kelly, the Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh, whose root is disputed
Kelley is the surname-styled spelling of Kelly, peaking in 1968 with 1,897 births and totalling 43,627. It has no row in 2020 or 2025.
Origin uncertain
Kelley is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Kelley, pop culture references for the name Kelley and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Kelley
We've found the following names that sound similar to Kelley, sorted by popularity.
Kelly / Kayla / Kaylee / Kylie / Kelli / Khloe / Kylee / Kellie / Kyla / Kali /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 4696 |
| 2012 | 4411 |
| 2010 | 3344 |
| 2009 | 3278 |
| 2008 | 3233 |
| 2007 | 2599 |
| 2006 | 2658 |
| 2005 | 2733 |
| 2004 | 1709 |
| 2003 | 1556 |
| 2002 | 1216 |
| 2001 | 1314 |
| 2000 | 1056 |
| 1999 | 945 |
| 1998 | 754 |
| 1997 | 711 |
| 1996 | 645 |
| 1995 | 549 |
| 1994 | 494 |
| 1993 | 435 |
| 1992 | 362 |
| 1991 | 371 |
| 1990 | 307 |
| 1989 | 278 |
| 1988 | 235 |
| 1987 | 224 |
| 1986 | 257 |
| 1985 | 311 |
| 1984 | 306 |
| 1983 | 264 |
| 1982 | 251 |
| 1981 | 266 |
| 1980 | 236 |
| 1979 | 215 |
| 1978 | 190 |
| 1977 | 184 |
| 1976 | 220 |
| 1975 | 211 |
| 1974 | 208 |
| 1973 | 212 |
| 1972 | 227 |
| 1971 | 232 |
| 1970 | 212 |
| 1969 | 190 |
| 1968 | 168 |
| 1967 | 202 |
| 1966 | 206 |
| 1965 | 221 |
| 1964 | 221 |
| 1963 | 223 |
| 1962 | 241 |
| 1961 | 248 |
| 1960 | 288 |
| 1959 | 327 |
| 1958 | 359 |
| 1957 | 582 |
| 1956 | 850 |
| 1955 | 1111 |
| 1954 | 1159 |
| 1953 | 1366 |
| 1952 | 1410 |
| 1951 | 1644 |
| 1950 | 1585 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Texas | 3037 |
Even more about Kelley
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Kelley a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.What is the number of syllables for the name Kelley?
2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
KEL-ee · /ˈkɛli/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
- Kelly — The base spelling
- Kellie — The -ie variant, a separate profile
- Kelli — The -i variant
Famous bearers
- Kelley Armstrong — Canadian fantasy novelist, author of the Women of the Otherworld series (b. 1968) Contemporary
Why parents choose it
A surname-flavoured Kelly variant of the late 1960s, now a family-name choice.
Worth knowing
- Kelly and Kellie are the spellings people reach for first
