NameRealm
Kelly

Kelly: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“descendant of Ceallach”
Origin
Irish
Say it
KEL-ee · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls (85% of all uses)

From an Irish surname derived from Ceallach, a personal name of uncertain meaning, often connected with 'bright-headed' or 'strife'. As a given name, it comes from surname use.

Irish namesEnglish namesModern namesSurname-style namesInternational names

How popular is Kelly?

2024126 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 Kelly in 2024419

2024 rank#868 girls

Peak year1977

Total US babies since 1880555,958

Kelly is fading: recent use is about 49% of its level ten years before.

Names like Kelly

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

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

Kelly questions

What does the name Kelly mean?

Kelly means "descendant of Ceallach". It comes from Irish. From an Irish surname derived from Ceallach, a personal name of uncertain meaning, often connected with 'bright-headed' or 'strife'. As a given name, it comes from surname use.

Is Kelly a boy or girl name?

Kelly is mainly a girl's name in US records (85% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Kelly?

419 US babies were named Kelly in 2024. Its peak year was 1977.

How do you pronounce Kelly?

Kelly 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.