Kaelee
A feminine name of unknown origin, potentially a variant of Kaylee.
Name Census estimates that about 1,149 living Americans carry the first name Kaelee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kaelee today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kaelee births was 2000 (58 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kaelee. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 298,307 Americans
Peak year
2000
58 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,192
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Kaelee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kaelee from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 467 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kaelee by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kaelee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kaelees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Washington recorded the most babies named Kaelee, while Ohio, Nebraska, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kaelee
The name Kaelee is a relatively modern feminine name, believed to have originated as a combination of two older names – the Scottish Gaelic name Cailean, meaning "bright-headed" or "bald head," and the English name Lee, which is derived from the word "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing.
The earliest known use of the name Kaelee can be traced back to the late 20th century, likely emerging as a creative spelling variation of the more traditional names Kaylee or Kayleigh. While the name does not have a long historical lineage, it has gained popularity in recent decades, particularly in English-speaking countries.
Despite its modern origins, there are a few notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Kaelee or its variations. One of the earliest recorded examples is Kaelee Byrne, an Australian actress born in 1986, known for her roles in television shows like "Home and Away" and "Wentworth."
Another notable figure is Kaelee Sunderland, an American singer and songwriter born in 1995, who rose to prominence through her appearances on reality singing competitions such as "The X Factor" and "American Idol."
In the literary world, Kaelee Ruffner is an American author and professor, born in 1980, who has written several novels and works of non-fiction, exploring themes of identity and cultural diversity.
Kaelee Lindsey, born in 1988, is a former professional basketball player from the United States, who played in the WNBA and overseas leagues, and is now a coach and broadcaster.
Lastly, Kaelee Albers, born in 1992, is a Canadian track and field athlete who has represented her country in various international competitions, specializing in the heptathlon and pentathlon events.
While the name Kaelee may be relatively new, it has already made its mark across various fields, from entertainment to sports to academia, showcasing the diversity and versatility of this modern moniker.
People
Kaelee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kaelee as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kaelee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kaelee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,149 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kaelee going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 298,307 US residents.
Is Kaelee a common name?
We classify Kaelee as "Rare". It ranks above 91% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,173 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kaelee most popular?
The single biggest year for Kaelee was 2000, when 58 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kaelee is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kaelee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kaelee in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.