ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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👧As Girl Name

1919

First Year

2026

Last Year

1968

Peak Year

#168

Peak Rank

46K

Total Count

89

Years Active

👦As Boy Name

1882

First Year

2026

Last Year

1968

Peak Year

#588

Peak Rank

6K

Total Count

136

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Kelley

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Kelley is a variant of the Irish surname Kelly.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelley%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelley%5F%28name%29)

📖

## The Story of Kelley

### As a girl name

Kelley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1919, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1968, when 1,918 Kelleys were born — ranking #168 that year. As of 2026, Kelley ranks #7,780 for girls with 13 births, falling sharply (-37%). In total, more than 46K Kelleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

### As a boy name

Kelley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1882, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1968, when 168 Kelleys were born — ranking #588 that year. As of 2026, Kelley ranks #7,555 for boys with 8 births, falling sharply (-43%). In total, more than 6K Kelleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys 

## Popularity by State

👧 Girls 👦 Boys 

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Kelley

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kelley is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Kelly](/kelly)
* [Kelli](/kelli)
* [Kellie](/kellie)
* [Keli](/keli)
* [Kellee](/kellee)
* [Kalie](/kalie)
* [Cully](/cully)
* Killy
* [Culley](/culley)
* Killie
* [Cali](/cali)
* [Collie](/collie)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Kelley

What does the name Kelley mean?

Kelley is a variant of the Irish surname Kelly.

How popular is Kelley in 2026?

In 2026, Kelley ranks #7,780 among girls' names in the U.S., with 13 babies given the name that year.

When was Kelley most popular?

Kelley reached its peak popularity in 1968, ranking #168 that year with 1,918 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Kelley most popular?

Kelley has historically been most popular in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kelley.

Is Kelley a unisex name?

Yes — Kelley is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 88% of Kelleys assigned female and 12% assigned male historically.

What names go well with Kelley?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kelley include Lora, Myla, Shawn. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

### 👧 Similar Girl Names 

[👧LoraPeak #168](/lora)[👧MylaPeak #168](/myla)[👧ShawnPeak #168](/shawn)[👧BriannePeak #168](/brianne)

### 👦 Similar Boy Names 

[👦DenzilPeak #588](/denzil)[👦ClemPeak #589](/clem)[👦CaesarPeak #587](/caesar)[👦HaskellPeak #587](/haskell)

## About the name Kelley 

Kelley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1919 and has accumulated 46K births in the dataset. Kelley's peak popularity came in 1968 when it ranked #168\. Use the chart and map above to compare Kelley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1968 → ](/year/1968)
* [ Names of the 1960s → ](/decade/1960s)
* [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)
* [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.