Kellyn
A feminine variant of Kelly, derived from Irish Gaelic meaning "bright-headed one".
Name Census estimates that about 2,131 living Americans carry the first name Kellyn. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 90.0% of registrations being female. The average person named Kellyn today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kellyn births was 1985 (97 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kellyn. 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.
People living today
2.1K
~ 1 in 160,842 Americans
Peak year
1985
97 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,775
Tracked since 1964
Census
Kellyn in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,131 people with the first name Kellyn, which placed it at #7,228 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#7,228
National first-name rank
People counted
2.1K
2,131 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.7
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
72.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kellyn
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kellyn is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.2%) and Black (5.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Kellyn described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Kellyn at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.4% · 1,542
- Hispanic or Latino15.2% · 324
- Black or African American5.0% · 106
- Two or more races4.2% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 53
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 16
Gender
Gender distribution for Kellyn
Kellyn leans heavily female at 90.0% of total registrations, but 220 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Kellyn as a male name
- Ranked #13,255 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2013 (19 births)
Kellyn as a female name
- Ranked #6,775 in 2024
- 17 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1985 (97 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Kellyn leans strongly female. 1,917 people counted with this name were female (89.7%), compared with 221 male bearers (10.3%).
Popularity
Kellyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kellyn from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 597 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kellyn 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 Kellyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kellyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 13 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Kellyn, while New Jersey, Idaho, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kellyn
The name Kellyn is a relatively modern variation of the traditional Irish name Cillian, which has its origins in the Gaelic language. Cillian is derived from the word "cill," meaning "church" or "monastery," and is believed to have originated as a surname for someone who lived or worked near a church or monastic settlement.
Kellyn is thought to have emerged as an anglicized spelling of Cillian, possibly to make the name more accessible and pronounceable for English speakers. While the exact timeline of this evolution is unclear, it likely gained popularity in the late 20th century as Irish names became more mainstream in English-speaking countries.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Kellyn can be found in the 16th century, when it was recorded as a variant spelling of Cillian in historical records from Ireland. However, it was not until much later that the name gained widespread recognition and usage.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kellyn or its variants. One of the most famous was Saint Cillian, an Irish missionary and martyr who lived in the 7th century. He is revered as the patron saint of several Irish counties and is celebrated for his efforts in spreading Christianity throughout the region.
Another prominent figure was Cillian Murphy, an Irish actor born in 1976, known for his roles in films such as "28 Days Later," "Inception," and "Peaky Blinders." His portrayal of complex and nuanced characters has earned him critical acclaim and a dedicated fan base.
In the literary world, Cillian Ó Coileáin was an Irish poet and language revivalist who lived from 1835 to 1920. He played a significant role in the Gaelic revival movement, contributing to the preservation and promotion of the Irish language and culture.
Cillian McDaid, born in 1965, is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician who has achieved success with his folk-rock band, The Cillian McDaid Band. His music has garnered a loyal following and critical praise, particularly within the Irish music scene.
Lastly, Cillian Barry, born in 1959, is an Irish actor and director who has made appearances in various television shows and films. He is known for his work in productions like "The Tudors" and "Ripper Street," and has also directed several stage plays.
While the name Kellyn may not have a long and storied history like some other ancient names, its Irish roots and connection to the Gaelic language and culture have given it a unique character and significance. As a modern variation of the traditional Cillian, it serves as a reminder of the enduring influence of Irish heritage and the evolution of names across time and cultures.
People
Kellyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kellyn 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
Kellyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kellyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 2,131 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kellyn 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 160,842 US residents.
Is Kellyn a common name?
We classify Kellyn as "Rare". It ranks above 93.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,196 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kellyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Kellyn was 1985, when 97 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kellyn is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Kellyn in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,131 people with the name Kellyn, or 0.71 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #7,228 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Kellyn in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Kellyn?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Kellyn leans strongly female. 1,917 people counted with this name were female (89.7%), compared with 221 male bearers (10.3%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Kellyn?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Kellyn is White at 72.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (15.2%) and Black (5.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Kellyn most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Kellyn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.4% (1,542 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Kellyn in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kellyn a female name?
Yes, 90.0% of people registered as Kellyn 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 Kellyn still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kellyn 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 Kellyn 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.
How many people have Kellyn as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Kellyn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.