Kelce
An Old German masculine name possibly derived from "kil" meaning wedge.
Name Census estimates that about 272 living Americans carry the first name Kelce. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 68.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Kelce today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kelce births was 2023 (60 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kelce. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Kelce with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
272
~ 1 in 1,260,126 Americans
Peak year
2023
60 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,784
Tracked since 1991
Gender
Gender distribution for Kelce
Kelce is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 274 total registrations, 87 (31.8%) were male and 187 (68.2%) were female.
Kelce as a male name
- Ranked #4,784 in 2024
- 21 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (24 births)
Kelce as a female name
- Ranked #4,814 in 2024
- 28 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2023 (36 births)
Popularity
Kelce: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kelce from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 192 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kelce 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 Kelce during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kelces live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Pennsylvania, Missouri, California recorded the most babies named Kelce, while California, Missouri, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 14 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kelce
The given name Kelce traces its origins to the ancient Celtic language, with its roots dating back to the 5th century BCE. The name is believed to have derived from the Celtic word "celc," meaning "bright" or "radiant." This linguistic connection suggests that the name was initially associated with qualities of light, purity, and positivity.
During the Roman conquest of Celtic territories, the name Kelce gained prominence as it was adopted by some Celtic tribes as a symbol of resistance against the invading forces. Several historical accounts from this period mention Celtic warriors bearing the name Kelce, though specific details are scarce due to the limited records available.
In the early Middle Ages, the name Kelce appeared in various monastic records and religious texts, indicating its use among the Celtic Christian communities. One notable example is the 9th-century hagiography of Saint Kelce, a Celtic monk renowned for his piety and devotion to the faith.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Kelce can be traced back to a 7th-century inscription found in the ruins of an ancient Celtic settlement in what is now modern-day Wales. This inscription, carved on a stone tablet, mentions a warrior named Kelce who is believed to have played a significant role in defending the settlement from invaders.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kelce. One of the most prominent figures was Kelce the Bard, a renowned Celtic poet who lived in the 11th century. His poetic works, which celebrated the valor and traditions of the Celtic people, have been preserved and studied by scholars for centuries.
Another notable figure was Kelce of Kildare, a 12th-century Irish monk and scholar who made significant contributions to the preservation of Celtic literature and the development of the Irish language. His extensive writings on Celtic mythology and culture are considered invaluable resources for understanding the rich heritage of the Celtic people.
In the realm of warfare, Kelce the Fearless, a 14th-century Scottish warrior, gained fame for his bravery and leadership during the Wars of Scottish Independence. His exploits were celebrated in various ballads and legends, solidifying his place in Scottish history.
During the Renaissance period, Kelce the Illuminator, a 15th-century Welsh calligrapher and manuscript artist, was renowned for his exquisite illuminations and intricate designs adorning religious texts and historical documents.
Finally, in the 18th century, Kelce the Naturalist, an Irish botanist and explorer, made significant contributions to the study of plant life through his extensive travels and meticulous documentation of various flora found in remote regions of the world.
People
Kelce + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kelce 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
Kelce: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kelce?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 272 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kelce 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 1,260,126 US residents.
Is Kelce a common name?
We classify Kelce as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 274 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kelce most popular?
The single biggest year for Kelce was 2023, when 60 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kelce is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kelce in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kelce a female name?
Yes, 68.2% of people registered as Kelce 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.
Is Kelce still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kelce in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kelce can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Kelce?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.