Kelly began as an Irish surname, an anglicization of Ó Ceallaigh, descendant of Ceallach, a name that has variously been read as bright-headed or, less gallantly, strife. It traveled in steerage and arrived famous: Gene on the sidewalk in Singin' in the Rain, Grace on the cover of every magazine, a princess by the end of the decade. For a while it was one of the most common girls' names in America; now at 868, it's settled into a looser, more unisex register. The sound is crisp, two quick syllables, a name with a grin already on.
Popularity
1880 to today
US SSA data. Lower rank number means more popular. A flat line at the top of the chart means the name did not rank in the top 1000.
Nicknames
No common nicknames.
Famous people
None notable in our records yet.
In fiction
No fictional associations tracked.
Sibling name ideas
- Robin
- Jireh
- Arden
- Campbell
- Ira
Similar energy
- Robin
- Jireh
- Arden
- Campbell
- Ira
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Robin
Rising· unisex
Diminutive of Robert, Germanic 'bright fame'; also the bird
Jireh
Rising· unisex
Hebrew, from Yahweh Yireh, 'the Lord will provide'
Arden
Rising· unisex
From Old English, 'valley of the eagle'; Shakespearean forest
Campbell
Rising· unisex
Scottish Gaelic cam beul, 'crooked mouth'
Ira
Falling· unisex
Hebrew, 'watchful'; also a Sanskrit goddess name