Kelby
Kelby is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:SurnameN. M. Kelby, American short-story and novel writerGiven nameKelby Guilfoyle, writer Kelby Tomlinson, American baseball player Kelby Woodard, American politician
Meaning & Origin of Kelby
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kelby is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:SurnameN. M. Kelby, American short-story and novel writerGiven nameKelby Guilfoyle, writer Kelby Tomlinson, American baseball player Kelby Woodard, American politician
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kelby
As a girl name
Kelby first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1974, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 90 Kelbys were born — ranking #1,656 that year. As of 2026, Kelby ranks #7,779 for girls with 13 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 2K Kelbys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Kelby first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1948, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1991, when 187 Kelbys were born — ranking #745 that year. As of 2026, Kelby ranks #5,930 for boys with 15 births, falling sharply (-32%). In total, more than 4K Kelbys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kelby
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kelby 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 Kelby
What does the name Kelby mean?
How popular is Kelby in 2026?
When was Kelby most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kelby most popular?
Is Kelby a unisex name?
What names go well with Kelby?
About the name Kelby
Kelby is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1948 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Kelby's peak popularity came in 1991 when it ranked #745. Use the chart and map above to compare Kelby's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1991 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.