Chelsea
Chelsea is an English given name derived from the Old English place name ċealc hȳð, or the modern Celcyth, meaning chalk landing place. The name evolved to Chelsea, a location on the River Thames that became a London borough known for its wealthy, socially influential residents. Many locations have been named after the English place name Chelsea.
Meaning & Origin of Chelsea
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Chelsea is an English given name derived from the Old English place name ċealc hȳð, or the modern Celcyth, meaning chalk landing place. The name evolved to Chelsea, a location on the River Thames that became a London borough known for its wealthy, socially influential residents. Many locations have been named after the English place name Chelsea.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Chelsea
Chelsea first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1910, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1992, when 16,177 Chelseas were born — ranking #15 that year. As of 2026, Chelsea ranks #804 for baby girls with 345 births, falling sharply (-36%). In total, more than 163K Chelseas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Chelsea
Phonetically similar names — useful when Chelsea is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chelsea
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About the name Chelsea
Chelsea is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1910 and has accumulated 163K births in the dataset. Chelsea's peak popularity came in 1992 when it ranked #15. Use the chart and map above to compare Chelsea's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1992 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.