Kelleye
A modern invented name potentially derived from Kelly, an Irish surname.
Name Census estimates that about 14 living Americans carry the first name Kelleye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kelleye today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kelleye births was 1987 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kelleye. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kelleye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
14
~ 1 in 24,482,453 Americans
Peak year
1987
6 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
1987 SSA rank
#10,509
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Kelleye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kelleye from the 1960s through to the 1980s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 6 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
Kelleye 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 Kelleye during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kelleye
The name Kelleye is an anglicized variation of the Irish Gaelic name Cailleach, which has its origins in the ancient Celtic language. This name can be traced back to the 5th century AD, during the time when the Celtic tribes inhabited parts of Ireland and Scotland.
The word Cailleach is derived from the Old Irish word "caillech," which means "veiled one" or "old woman." In Celtic mythology, the Cailleach was a powerful goddess associated with winter, storms, and the earth's fertility. She was often depicted as an old woman with a staff or a broom, symbolizing her power over the natural world.
One of the earliest known references to the name Cailleach can be found in the ancient Irish text, the Cath Maige Tuired (The Second Battle of Mag Tuired), which dates back to the 7th or 8th century AD. This text mentions the Cailleach as a powerful figure in Celtic mythology.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne variations of the name Kelleye. One of the earliest recorded examples is Cailleach of the Rocks, a legendary figure in Scottish folklore from the 6th century AD. She was said to be a powerful witch who could control the weather and was associated with the creation of various landscapes.
Another notable figure was Cailleach Bheara, a legendary Irish figure from the 9th century AD who was said to have been a strong and fierce warrior queen. Her name is still associated with various locations in Ireland, such as the Cailleach Bheara Mountain in County Cork.
In the 12th century, there was a Scottish noblewoman named Cailleach Inghen Dubh, who was known for her involvement in the Wars of Scottish Independence against the English.
Fast-forwarding to the 19th century, there was an Irish novelist named Cailleac Nic Amhlaoibh (1854-1927), who wrote several works that explored Irish culture and folklore.
Finally, in the 20th century, there was a Scottish artist named Cailleac NicDhomhnaill (1922-2007), who was renowned for her vibrant paintings that depicted Scottish landscapes and culture.
People
Kelleye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kelleye 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
Kelleye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kelleye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 14 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kelleye 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 24,482,453 US residents.
Is Kelleye a common name?
We classify Kelleye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 34% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 16 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kelleye most popular?
The single biggest year for Kelleye was 1987, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kelleye is about 52 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 Kelleye in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kelleye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kelleye 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 Kelleye still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kelleye 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 Kelleye 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 Kelleye as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Kelleye, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.