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The short answer
Kelly is a feminine name used in Irish and English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Anglicized form of the Irish given name Ceallach or the surname derived from it Ó Ceallaigh. As a given name it was mostly masculine before 1940, but it rose in popularity as a name for girls during the 40s and 50s, probably due both to Grace Kelly (who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956) and a female character on the 1957 television series Bachelor Father." It ranked #852 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, anglicized form of the Irish given name Ceallach or the surname derived from it Ó Ceallaigh. As a given name it was mostly masculine before 1940, but it rose in popularity as a name for girls during the 40s and 50s, probably due both to Grace Kelly (who married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956) and a female character on the 1957 television series Bachelor Father. The entry lists its usage as Irish, English.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Kelly ranked #852 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #852 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (Irish) and that sit near Kelly in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Kelly mean?
Behind the Name does not give Kelly a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: anglicized form of the Irish given name Ceallach or the surname.
Is Kelly a popular name?
Kelly ranked #852 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Kelly a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Kelly appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine & feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Kelly — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
