Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 1968

Kelley

Meaning A unisex given name transferred from the surname Gender Unisex · 88% girls Rank 2025 #7,322 Trend ↓ Falling 39%

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

Rank 2025
#7,322
among girls · ↓518 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
24
named Kelley · -4% vs 2024
How common
1 in 107,151
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1968
2,086 babies
All-time total
52,385
#624 all-time among girls
First recorded
1882
in Social Security records

Kelley popularity over time

52,385 babies have been named Kelley since 1882, 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
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

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 – 29 29 3 – –
1890s – 32 32 3 +10% –
1900s – 81 81 8 +153% –
1910s 6 244 250 25 +209% #4,526
1920s 5 309 314 31 +26% #5,359
1930s – 233 233 23 -26% –
1940s 81 359 440 44 +89% #2,534
1950s 2,237 891 3,128 313 +611% #331
1960s 14,747 1,370 16,117 1,612 +415% #168
1970s 12,745 1,059 13,804 1,380 -14% #181
1980s 9,788 795 10,583 1,058 -23% #226
1990s 4,935 417 5,352 535 -49% #308
2000s 1,111 221 1,332 133 -75% #1,024
2010s 329 169 498 50 -63% #3,097
2020s (to 2025) 115 77 192 32 -36% #4,607

The story of Kelley

Kelley is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #7,322 in 2025 with 15 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1882, 52,385 American babies have been named Kelley, about 88% girls and 12% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1968, when 2,086 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

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 Kelley stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kelley?

The median living Kelley is about 50 years old; half are between 40 and 59. An estimated 48 thousand people named Kelley are alive in the United States today.

median 50 020406080100

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

Kelley 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 15 #7,322 9 #8,601
2024 17 #6,804 8 #9,445
2023 17 #6,796 14 #6,359
2022 17 #6,855 12 #7,038
2021 20 #6,068 19 #5,027
2020 29 #4,607 15 #5,846
2019 24 #5,374 19 #5,058
2018 29 #4,713 20 #4,845
2017 22 #5,748 16 #5,668
2016 22 #5,891 18 #5,231
2015 28 #4,921 15 #5,881
2014 39 #3,882 9 #8,482
2013 27 #5,073 18 #5,079
2012 46 #3,499 15 #5,859
2011 38 #3,963 22 #4,439
2010 54 #3,097 17 #5,371
2009 54 #3,148 16 #5,703
2008 63 #2,842 21 #4,632
2007 65 #2,805 20 #4,726
2006 89 #2,174 22 #4,304
2005 73 #2,419 16 #5,165
2004 106 #1,803 19 #4,513
2003 129 #1,514 24 #3,682
2002 171 #1,194 20 #4,127
2001 155 #1,272 32 #2,900
2000 206 #1,024 31 #2,893
1995 420 #556 37 #2,195
1990 887 #308 59 #1,480
1985 761 #315 75 #1,072
1980 1,084 #236 111 #839
1975 1,169 #211 101 #828
1970 1,497 #212 132 #716
1965 1,461 #222 110 #714
1960 1,004 #289 155 #627
1955 90 #1,066 74 #859
1950 23 #2,024 46 #1,045
1945 13 #2,534 36 #1,095
1940 5 #4,709 30 #1,239
1935 – – 37 #1,068
1930 – – 25 #1,481
1925 – – 30 #1,349
1920 5 #5,359 46 #1,026
1915 – – 33 #1,137
1910 – – 11 #1,012
1905 – – 8 #966
1900 – – 17 #609
1895 – – – –
1890 – – 5 #1,083
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Kelley

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Kelley O'Hara Kelley O'Hara American soccer player (born 1988) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Kelley?

The median living Kelley is about 50 years old. Half of all living Kelleys are between 40 and 59 years old.

How many people named Kelley are alive today?

An estimated 48 thousand people named Kelley are alive in the United States, based on 52,385 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Kelley mean?

A unisex given name transferred from the surname.

How popular is the name Kelley in 2025?

Kelley ranked #7,322 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 15 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kelley?

52,385 babies have been named Kelley in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kelley most popular?

Kelley peaked in 1968, when 2,086 newborns received the name.

Is Kelley a boy or girl name?

Kelley is used for both: about 88% of babies named Kelley have been girls and 12% boys.

Is the name Kelley rising or falling?

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

Who are famous people named Kelley?

Well-known people named Kelley include Kelley O'Hara (soccer player).

Names like Kelley

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

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