Kelly first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Kelly has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Kelly

A feminine name of Irish origin meaning "bright-headed".

Popularity of Kelly by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Kelly is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 92% of people named Kelly being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 362 female babies and 93 male babies born with the name Kelly.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 93 baby boys were named Kelly in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 93 362
2022 122 346
2021 114 324
2020 110 365
2019 107 446
2018 103 485
2017 114 503
2016 117 604
2015 104 674
2014 105 739
2013 103 848
2012 106 891
2011 108 944
2010 101 1,061
2009 140 1,251
2008 113 1,399
2007 154 1,568
2006 139 1,611
2005 127 1,952
2004 160 2,357
2003 146 2,736
2002 185 2,852
2001 174 2,814
2000 202 3,076
1999 195 3,420
1998 240 3,703
1997 284 4,063
1996 339 4,734
1995 357 5,398
1994 385 5,445
1993 475 6,297
1992 534 7,011
1991 643 7,513
1990 687 8,136
1989 811 8,760
1988 740 8,914
1987 786 9,867
1986 872 10,413
1985 892 11,033
1984 985 11,219
1983 1,054 11,586
1982 1,271 12,172
1981 1,182 11,876
1980 1,184 13,715
1979 1,207 15,298
1978 1,308 16,982
1977 1,484 18,234
1976 1,541 11,794
1975 1,644 11,737
1974 1,757 10,850

The history of the first name Kelly

The name Kelly is derived from the Irish Gaelic surname Ă“ Ceallaigh, which means "descendant of Ceallach". Ceallach was an ancient Irish personal name that may have meant "bright-headed" or "frequenting churches".

The name Kelly originated in Ireland, where it was first used as a surname for descendants of the family of Ceallach. It later transitioned into use as a given name, likely in the 19th century during a period of increased Irish immigration to English-speaking countries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kelly being used as a first name is Kelly Miller, an African American mathematician, sociologist, and author who was born in 1863. Another notable early bearer of the name was Kelly Petillo, an American baseball player who was born in 1892.

In the early 20th century, the name Kelly gained popularity as a feminine given name, likely influenced by the fame of actresses such as Kelly Dempster (1892-1949) and Kelly Emberg (1903-1993). The name was also borne by Kelly Myrna (1908-1951), a Danish actress and singer.

One of the most famous bearers of the name Kelly was Kelly Johnson (1910-1990), an American aeronautical engineer who played a leading role in the design of several famous aircraft, including the Lockheed U-2 and SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft.

Another notable Kelly was Kelly Reichardt (born 1964), an American film director and screenwriter known for films such as Old Joy and Meek's Cutoff. Other famous Kellys include Kelly Clarkson (born 1982), an American singer and songwriter, and Kelly Holmes (born 1970), a British former athlete who won gold medals in the 800m and 1500m events at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Kelly was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kelly, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Kelly first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 4, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/kelly-meaning-and-history/.

"Kelly first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/kelly-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 4 December, 2024

Kelly first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/kelly-meaning-and-history/.

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