Kelly - A very unique female name
Kelly at a glance
Kelly is ranked #867 among girl baby names in 2025, with 262 births in 2025. It peaked in 1977 at #10 and first appeared on the charts in 1910.
- Rank in 2025
- #867
- Births in 2025
- 262
- Peak year
- 1977 (#10)
- First appeared
- 1910
- Trend
- #772 in 2020 → #867 in 2025 (Falling)
- Popularity
- 1 in 4,975 girls
- Visitor rating
- 4.9/5 (11 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 4,975 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Kelly peaked in popularity 49 years ago in 1977 on position 10.
Famous with this name
Kelly Reilly
Minka Kelly
Kelly Macdonald
How would you rate Kelly, 1-5?
Kelly is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Kelly is currently topping the baby name charts in Massachusetts at position #460 - and is the least popular in Georgia at position #1,464.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 Kelly is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Kelly origin and meaning
Irish (transferred surname)
A transferred Irish surname, Ó Ceallaigh, 'descendant of Ceallach'; Ceallach's own meaning is disputed — 'bright-headed' and a link to cill, 'church,' are both proposed, so the surname's meaning is uncertain
Kelly crossed from Irish surname to girls' first name in the mid-20th century and became one of the defining names of the 1970s, peaking in 1977. It has been falling for decades since, which now makes it a familiar name that few babies share.
Origin uncertain
Kelly is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.
To see famous people named Kelly, pop culture references for the name Kelly and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Kelly
We've found the following names that sound similar to Kelly, sorted by popularity.
Kayla / Kaylee / Kylie / Kelli / Khloe / Kylee / Kellie / Kelley / 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 |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 867 |
| 2024 | 858 |
| 2023 | 793 |
| 2022 | 830 |
| 2021 | 857 |
| 2020 | 772 |
| 2019 | 650 |
| 2018 | 622 |
| 2017 | 606 |
| 2016 | 520 |
| 2015 | 480 |
| 2014 | 434 |
| 2013 | 370 |
| 2012 | 353 |
| 2011 | 337 |
| 2010 | 307 |
| 2009 | 260 |
| 2008 | 249 |
| 2007 | 222 |
| 2006 | 214 |
| 2005 | 175 |
| 2004 | 138 |
| 2003 | 126 |
| 2002 | 120 |
| 2001 | 124 |
| 2000 | 111 |
| 1999 | 96 |
| 1998 | 90 |
| 1997 | 83 |
| 1996 | 72 |
| 1995 | 63 |
| 1994 | 62 |
| 1993 | 51 |
| 1992 | 47 |
| 1991 | 42 |
| 1990 | 41 |
| 1989 | 37 |
| 1988 | 32 |
| 1987 | 30 |
| 1986 | 29 |
| 1985 | 28 |
| 1984 | 27 |
| 1983 | 26 |
| 1982 | 25 |
| 1981 | 23 |
| 1980 | 19 |
| 1979 | 16 |
| 1978 | 12 |
| 1977 | 10 |
| 1976 | 19 |
| 1975 | 16 |
| 1974 | 16 |
| 1973 | 18 |
| 1972 | 23 |
| 1971 | 22 |
| 1970 | 20 |
| 1969 | 15 |
| 1968 | 12 |
| 1967 | 23 |
| 1966 | 26 |
| 1965 | 30 |
| 1964 | 35 |
| 1963 | 32 |
| 1962 | 38 |
| 1961 | 45 |
| 1960 | 51 |
| 1959 | 74 |
| 1958 | 108 |
| 1957 | 186 |
| 1956 | 306 |
| 1955 | 380 |
| 1954 | 415 |
| 1953 | 626 |
| 1952 | 502 |
| 1951 | 700 |
| 1950 | 953 |
| 1949 | 853 |
| 1948 | 1111 |
| 1947 | 1122 |
| 1946 | 1622 |
| 1945 | 1582 |
| 1944 | 1293 |
| 1943 | 1367 |
| 1942 | 1788 |
| 1941 | 1545 |
| 1922 | 1972 |
| 1910 | 1002 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 460 |
| New York | 468 |
| Maryland | 483 |
| Connecticut | 510 |
| Oklahoma | 578 |
| South Carolina | 587 |
| Florida | 664 |
| California | 678 |
| Virginia | 731 |
| Tennessee | 784 |
| Washington | 860 |
| Arizona | 866 |
| Texas | 886 |
| Illinois | 964 |
| Indiana | 985 |
| New Jersey | 988 |
| Pennsylvania | 1060 |
| North Carolina | 1211 |
| Georgia | 1464 |
Even more about Kelly
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 Kelly 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 Kelly?
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
- Ó Ceallaigh (Irish) — The original Irish surname form
Spellings and nicknames
- Kelley — A spelling variant
- Kelli — A spelling variant
- Kellie — A spelling variant
Famous bearers
- Kelly Clarkson — American singer, the first winner of American Idol (b. 1982) Contemporary
- Kelly Ripa — American television host of Live with Kelly and Mark (b. 1970) Contemporary
- Kelly Reilly — English actress known for Yellowstone (b. 1977) Contemporary
Style
ClassicSurname
Why parents choose it
Parents who still choose Kelly like its bright, easy familiarity. After its long 1970s reign it is now a name children meet on adults far more than on classmates.
Worth knowing
- It reads as a parents'-generation name to many, thanks to the 1970s peak
