girl's name
Kellie
KEL-ee (English)
- Origin Irish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 53,496
Kellie has no settled meaning — the Irish Ceallach has been read as bright-headed, as strife, and as one who frequents churches, and the three readings are not close to reconciling. Kelley, the other spelling, is written up separately.
- Kellie is a name of Irish origin.
- Peaked in 1969, when 2,659 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 174,520 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Kellie started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- First appears in US birth records in 1913.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kellie Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 38 |
| 1920s | 64 |
| 1930s | 16 |
| 1940s | 65 |
| 1950s | 1,668 |
| 1960s | 13,202 |
| 1970s | 13,752 |
| 1980s | 11,367 |
| 1990s | 8,102 |
| 2000s | 2,166 |
| 2010s | 539 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 129 |
What Kellie Means
Kellie means bright-headed, or strife, or church-going, depending on which derivation of the Irish original is accepted. None has established itself over the others. The three are not close to reconciling.
Where Kellie Comes From
Kellie anglicizes Ó Ceallaigh, descendant of Ceallach — a name whose root is disputed. Bright-headed, contention or strife, and one who frequents churches have all been argued, the last from cell, a church, borrowed from the Latin cella. The O'Kellys were one of the great Connacht families. Kelley, written up separately here, is the same name under a different spelling, and the two split its births on record.
Kellie in Use
Kellie peaked in the United States in 1969, when 2,659 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 1,047th in Ireland on 3 births and 6,236th in the United States on 19, across 53,496 lifetime births in two markets. Ireland ran its own peak of 63 births in 1995, a generation after the American one.
How Popular Is Kellie?
In 2025, Kellie was given to 19 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Where Kellie Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Kellie
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Kellie Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kellie over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Kellie
- English KEL-ee /ˈkɛl.i/
Kellie in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Kellie
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Kellie — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Kellie
What does the name Kellie mean?
Unsettled — bright-headed, strife and church-going have all been argued.
Is Kelley the same name?
Yes, a different spelling. The two split the name's births on record.
Who were the O'Kellys?
One of the great families of Connacht.
How popular is Kellie?
6,236th in the United States, down from a 1969 peak of 2,659 births.
Is Kellie a girl's or a boy's name?
Kellie is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kellie?
Kellie has 2 syllables.
Is Kellie a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kellie currently ranks #1,047 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Kellie originally a boys' or girls' name?
Kellie was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.