Keelie
A feminine diminutive form of the name Cecilia of Latin origin.
Name Census estimates that about 1,464 living Americans carry the first name Keelie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Keelie today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Keelie births was 2007 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Keelie. 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
1.5K
~ 1 in 234,122 Americans
Peak year
2007
75 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,061
Tracked since 1962
Popularity
Keelie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Keelie from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 551 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
Keelie 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 Keelie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Keelies live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee recorded the most babies named Keelie, while Ohio, Michigan, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 18 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Keelie
The name Keelie is believed to have its origins in the Gaelic language, which has deep roots in the Celtic cultures of Ireland and Scotland. The name is a diminutive form of the Irish name Keelia or Keelan, which is derived from the Old Irish words "caol" meaning "slender" or "thin," and "án" meaning "little."
Historically, the name Keelie was more commonly used as a surname, particularly in Ireland, where it was an anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Caoláin. However, its use as a given name, particularly for females, gained popularity in the late 20th century, likely due to its unique and melodic sound.
While there are no major historical figures specifically recorded with the first name Keelie, some notable individuals throughout history who bore similar names include:
1. Saint Caelan (6th century) – An Irish monk and missionary who founded several monasteries in Ireland and is venerated as the patron saint of the Diocese of Ardagh.
2. Cathal Óg O'Conor (1198-1224) – An Irish king of Connacht who played a significant role in the Norman invasion of Ireland.
3. Callan McAuliffe (born 1995) – An Australian actor known for his roles in films such as "The Great Gatsby" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."
4. Keeley Hawes (born 1976) – An English actress best known for her roles in television series like "Bodyguard," "Line of Duty," and "The Durrells."
5. Keelin Shanley (1966-2020) – An Irish journalist and broadcaster who worked for RTÉ News and was a prominent figure in Irish media.
While the name Keelie may not have a long and extensive documented history, its Celtic roots and unique sound have contributed to its increasing popularity in recent decades, particularly in English-speaking countries.
People
Keelie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Keelie 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
Keelie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Keelie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,464 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Keelie 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 234,122 US residents.
Is Keelie a common name?
We classify Keelie as "Rare". It ranks above 92.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,504 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Keelie most popular?
The single biggest year for Keelie was 2007, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Keelie is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Keelie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Keelie 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.