Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1991

Kelby

Meaning Kelby is both a surname and a given name Gender Unisex · 28% girls Rank 2025 #5,313 Trend ↓ Falling 33%

Kelby is both a surname and a given name.

Rank 2025
#5,313
among boys · ↑1,023 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
32
named Kelby · +3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 94,893
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1991
277 babies
All-time total
5,582
#2,079 all-time among boys
First recorded
1948
in Social Security records

Kelby popularity over time

5,582 babies have been named Kelby since 1948, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.030.050.080.118801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – 10 10 1 – #3,943
1950s – 63 63 6 +530% #2,459
1960s – 86 86 9 +37% #1,664
1970s 27 474 501 50 +483% #1,076
1980s 115 637 752 75 +50% #900
1990s 615 1,364 1,979 198 +163% #746
2000s 469 829 1,298 130 -34% #1,237
2010s 247 432 679 68 -48% #1,918
2020s (to 2025) 90 124 214 36 -47% #4,145

The story of Kelby

Kelby is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #5,313 in 2025 with 18 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1948, 5,582 American babies have been named Kelby, about 72% boys and 28% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1991, when 277 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1990s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Kelby stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kelby?

The median living Kelby is about 29 years old; half are between 20 and 35. An estimated 5,400 people named Kelby are alive in the United States today.

median 29 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Kelby year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 14 #7,682 18 #5,313
2024 17 #6,803 14 #6,336
2023 9 #10,754 20 #4,982
2022 17 #6,853 26 #4,145
2021 11 #9,253 24 #4,312
2020 22 #5,568 22 #4,492
2019 20 #6,082 19 #5,057
2018 18 #6,663 40 #2,974
2017 13 #8,549 29 #3,725
2016 20 #6,294 32 #3,482
2015 23 #5,752 42 #2,833
2014 29 #4,839 40 #2,910
2013 24 #5,575 47 #2,578
2012 32 #4,551 59 #2,224
2011 33 #4,414 50 #2,490
2010 35 #4,252 74 #1,918
2009 29 #5,013 53 #2,423
2008 48 #3,454 79 #1,853
2007 47 #3,508 76 #1,885
2006 39 #3,894 72 #1,886
2005 41 #3,619 79 #1,703
2004 46 #3,295 110 #1,340
2003 52 #2,934 109 #1,293
2002 58 #2,657 68 #1,715
2001 59 #2,584 108 #1,237
2000 50 #2,880 75 #1,577
1995 58 #2,296 138 #947
1990 34 #3,256 123 #931
1985 10 #6,690 52 #1,339
1980 5 #11,158 49 #1,350
1975 – – 46 #1,270
1970 – – 44 #1,255
1965 – – – –
1960 – – 7 #3,497
1955 – – – –
1950 – – 8 #2,902
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Kelby, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Kelby?

The median living Kelby is about 29 years old. Half of all living Kelbys are between 20 and 35 years old.

How many people named Kelby are alive today?

An estimated 5,400 people named Kelby are alive in the United States, based on 5,582 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kelby mean?

Kelby is both a surname and a given name.

How popular is the name Kelby in 2025?

Kelby ranked #5,313 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 18 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kelby?

5,582 babies have been named Kelby in the United States since 1948, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kelby most popular?

Kelby peaked in 1991, when 277 newborns received the name.

Is Kelby a boy or girl name?

Kelby is used for both: about 28% of babies named Kelby have been girls and 72% boys.

Is the name Kelby rising or falling?

Kelby is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Names like Kelby

Names that sound and feel close to Kelby: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Kelby with similar names → More names starting with K →