Kelly

Meaning: Possibly bright-headed, or strife
Origin: Irish surname — From Ó Ceallaigh, descendant of Ceallach

Nicknames: Kel, Kell

Boy's name · #1881 in the US (2025) · Retro

24% boys · 76% girls — About 76% of babies named Kelly in recent years have been girls. Kelly →

Popularity over time

Kelly's best rank, #97, came in 1968; it has stepped well back to #1881 today. Roughly 82,000 boys have been named Kelly since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Kelly is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 11 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Kelly ranks in other countries and regions.

#2,095 in Canada (2025) · #4,838 in France (2025) · #2,862 in Ecuador (2023) · #3,524 in England & Wales (2023) · #4,003 in Italy (2023) · #2,019 in Sweden (2018) · #1,282 in Austria (2012) · #500 in Ireland (2003) · #312 in New Zealand (1999) · #314 in Scotland (1983).

Famous Kellys

Kelly Olynyk — Canadian basketball player (born 1991)
Kelly Slater — American surfer (born 1972)
Kelly Oubre Jr. — American basketball player (born 1995)
Kelly Johnson — American aerospace engineer (1910–1990)
Kelly Jones — Welsh singer-songwriter, guitarist and director and lead singer of the band Stereophonics (born 1974)

In stories & tradition

Kelly Severide — Chicago Fire (TV series)
Kelly Nelson^it — Guiding Light (TV series)

What Kellys become

Among 1,529 notable people named Kelly:

Sports figures appear 1.9× more often than among typical names — e.g. Kelly Olynyk, Canadian basketball player (born 1991).

Similar names: Dwayne · Kent · Billy · Craig · Kerry · Barry

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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