Kellin
A Scottish variant spelling of the name Cailean, itself a Gaelic equivalent of Colin.
Name Census estimates that about 1,219 living Americans carry the first name Kellin. It is a predominantly male name (92.4% of registrations). The average person named Kellin today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kellin births was 2014 (110 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kellin. 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
- • Kellin is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 15 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 281,177 Americans
Peak year
2014
110 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,969
Tracked since 1982
Gender
Gender distribution for Kellin
Kellin leans heavily male at 92.4% of total registrations, but 94 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kellin as a male name
- Ranked #2,969 in 2024
- 42 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2014 (110 births)
Kellin as a female name
- Ranked #16,480 in 2021
- 5 female births in 2021
- Peak: 1995 (8 births)
Popularity
Kellin: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kellin from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 620 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Kellin remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kellin 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 Kellin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kellins live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, California recorded the most babies named Kellin, while Virginia, Georgia, Oklahoma recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kellin
The name Kellin is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "cyll," meaning a stream or brook. It is believed to have emerged as a surname in the 12th century, referring to someone who lived near a small body of water.
Over time, the name evolved and was adopted as a given name, particularly in the British Isles. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kellin can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, the name appears as "Kelin."
In the Middle Ages, the name Kellin was relatively uncommon but not unheard of. It is recorded in several parish records and tax rolls from the 13th to 15th centuries, primarily in the counties of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
One notable bearer of the name Kellin was Kellin de Courtenay, a French nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He was a member of the prestigious House of Courtenay and served as a knight in the service of King Louis IX during the Seventh Crusade.
Another historical figure with the name Kellin was Kellin Burges, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, England, in the 15th century. He was a prominent member of the local community and played a role in the city's governance.
In the 16th century, the name Kellin gained some popularity among Puritan families in England, who were drawn to its simple, biblical-sounding quality. One example from this period is Kellin Woodstock, a Puritan minister who served in the town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, in the early years of the American colonies.
Kellin Gibbons, a British soldier and explorer, was born in 1720 and is known for his travels and writings about the American West in the late 18th century. His journals provide valuable insights into the indigenous cultures and landscapes of the region.
Additionally, Kellin Wilcox, an American abolitionist and social reformer, was born in 1824. He was actively involved in the anti-slavery movement and worked tirelessly to promote the rights and welfare of African Americans.
While the name Kellin has never been among the most common given names, it has maintained a modest presence throughout history, particularly in English-speaking regions. Its association with nature and its simple, understated quality have likely contributed to its enduring appeal.
People
Kellin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kellin 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
Kellin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kellin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,219 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kellin 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 281,177 US residents.
Is Kellin a common name?
We classify Kellin as "Rare". It ranks above 91.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,235 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kellin most popular?
The single biggest year for Kellin was 2014, when 110 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kellin is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Kellin a male name?
Yes, 92.4% of people registered as Kellin in the SSA data are male. 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.