Kelilah
A feminine name meaning "crown" or "garland" in Hebrew.
Name Census estimates that about 203 living Americans carry the first name Kelilah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kelilah today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kelilah births was 2023 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kelilah. 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 Kelilah with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
203
~ 1 in 1,688,445 Americans
Peak year
2023
28 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,815
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Kelilah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kelilah 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 94 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
Kelilah 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 Kelilah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kelilahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Kelilah
The name Kelilah originates from the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Hebrew word "kelil," which means "crown" or "garland." The name likely emerged during biblical times, when Hebrew names held significant meaning and symbolism.
Kelilah was a relatively uncommon name in ancient times, with few recorded instances in historical texts or religious scriptures. However, it has been suggested that the name may have been used in some Jewish communities, particularly those with a strong connection to the Hebrew language and traditions.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Kelilah was a Jewish scholar and poet who lived in Spain during the 12th century. Kelilah ben Shlomo was known for her poetic works that celebrated the beauty of nature and the wisdom of the Torah.
In the 16th century, there was a notable figure named Kelilah ben Yitzhak, a Jewish philosopher and mystic from the Ottoman Empire. His writings on Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism were highly influential during that time period.
Moving forward to the 19th century, Kelilah Kohen was a prominent Jewish educator and advocate for women's rights. Born in 1825 in Morocco, she established one of the first schools for Jewish girls in her community and worked tirelessly to promote education and empowerment for women.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Kelilah was Kelilah Stern, a Russian-born artist who lived from 1877 to 1955. She was renowned for her intricate woodcarvings and sculptures, which often depicted scenes from Jewish folklore and traditions.
In more recent history, Kelilah Levi was a celebrated Israeli writer and poet who made significant contributions to modern Hebrew literature. Born in 1928, she explored themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of the human experience in her poetic works.
While the name Kelilah has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals who have left their mark in various fields, from literature and art to education and philosophy. The name's Hebrew origins and its connection to concepts of beauty, wisdom, and adornment have likely contributed to its enduring appeal.
People
Kelilah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kelilah 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
Kelilah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kelilah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 203 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kelilah 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 1,688,445 US residents.
Is Kelilah a common name?
We classify Kelilah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 74.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 205 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kelilah most popular?
The single biggest year for Kelilah was 2023, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kelilah is about 9 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 Kelilah in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kelilah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kelilah 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 Kelilah still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kelilah 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 Kelilah 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 have the name Kelilah?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.