Kelsey: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “Cenel's island”
- Origin
- English
- Say it
- KEL-see · 2 syllables
- Used for
- Girls (97% of all uses)
From an English surname and place name, probably from Old English personal name Cenel plus eg 'island'. The etymology has some uncertainty in early forms.
How popular is Kelsey?
Babies named Kelsey in 2024437
2024 rank#668 girls
Peak year1992
Total US babies since 1880155,383
Kelsey is fading: recent use is about 45% of its level ten years before.
Names like Kelsey
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
Kelsey questions
What does the name Kelsey mean?
Kelsey means "Cenel's island". It comes from English. From an English surname and place name, probably from Old English personal name Cenel plus eg 'island'. The etymology has some uncertainty in early forms.
Is Kelsey a boy or girl name?
Kelsey is mainly a girl's name in US records (97% of uses since 1880).
How popular is Kelsey?
437 US babies were named Kelsey in 2024. Its peak year was 1992.
How do you pronounce Kelsey?
Kelsey is usually pronounced KEL-see.
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.