NameRealm
Kelli

Kelli: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“war; strife”
Origin
Irish
Say it
KEL-ee · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls

Usually a variant of Kelly, from the Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh. The surname is commonly explained as deriving from Ceallach, traditionally glossed as 'strife' or 'war'.

Irish namesEnglish namesAmerican namesNames meaning warriorModern names

How popular is Kelli?

20244.5 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Kelli in 202415

Peak year1970

Total US babies since 188075,176

Kelli is fading: recent use is about 42% of its level ten years before.

Names like Kelli

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Kellydescendant of Ceallach · Irish
  • Keilyuncertain · Unknown
  • Kelleydescendant of Ceallach · Irish
  • Kelliebright-headed · Irish
  • Maeveshe who intoxicates · Irish
  • Kennedyhelmeted head · Irish
  • Sloaneraider · Irish
  • Delaneydescendant of the challenger · Irish

Kelli questions

What does the name Kelli mean?

Kelli means "war; strife". It comes from Irish. Usually a variant of Kelly, from the Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh. The surname is commonly explained as deriving from Ceallach, traditionally glossed as 'strife' or 'war'.

Is Kelli a boy or girl name?

Kelli is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Kelli?

15 US babies were named Kelli in 2024. Its peak year was 1970.

How do you pronounce Kelli?

Kelli is usually pronounced KEL-ee.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.