Total births
31,498
Girls' name · since 1969
Chelsey
31,498 babies named Chelsey in U.S. Social Security records since 1969, with the highest year being 1992. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #5482
- among girls today
- 31,498
- born since 1969
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other girls
31,498 babies have been named Chelsey since 1969, making it today's #5482 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Chelsey has been recorded 31,498 times among girls since 1969, currently ranked #5482 nationally and more common than 69% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1969 to 2025.
- #5482 among girls today
- 31,498 born since 1969
- 1990s peak decade
- 69% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Chelsey is currently the #5482 girls' name in America, more common than 69% of girls - 31,498 born since 1969, peaking in the 1990s.
- #5482
- among girls today
- 31,498
- born since 1969
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other girls
Chelsey vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5482
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 69% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
53% of everyone ever named Chelsey was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
2,880 babies were named Chelsey in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Chelsey compares
31,498 Top 5% higher than 95% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Chelsey's all-time total is 82x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Chelsey | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 31,498 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,880 | 48 | 19,840 |
Chelsey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Chelsey's SSA record in two at 1997 and the more recent half accounts for 25% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 75%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1969, with only 13 births recorded -- set against the 1992 peak of 2,880, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Chelsey at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1992
Current rank
#5,482
Active since
1969
Chelsey popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1969–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 2,880
- Annual births at peak, across 57 years of records
Chelsey popularity over time - boys
65 total births recorded since 1984 (Chelsey as boys' name)
Chelsey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Chelsey's strongest decade.
16,838 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 53% of all-time use.
Chelsey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 13
1960s
13 births
- 1970s 497
1970s
497 births
- 1980s
1980s
8,927 births
- 1990s
1990s
16,838 births
- 2000s 3,737
2000s
3,737 births
- 2010s 1,281
2010s
1,281 births
- 2020s 205
2020s
205 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 16,838 births (53% of all-time use).
How Chelsey compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Chelsey's total volume
Chelsey vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Chelsey by state
Where Chelsey concentrates geographically, total births since 1969
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,272 | 7.2% |
| #2 | California | | 2,258 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 1,460 | 4.6% |
| #4 | Florida | | 1,258 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 1,235 | 3.9% |
| #6 | New York | | 1,201 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,167 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 1,088 | 3.5% |
Texas share of Chelsey's total US births 7.2%
Even split
2,272 of 31,498 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Chelsey appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chelsey? ▼
Chelsey has been given to 31,498 babies in the U.S. since 1969, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #5482 as of the latest data. 2,880 babies were born in 1992, its single highest year.
When was Chelsey most popular? ▼
Chelsey was most popular in the 1990s decade with 16,838 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Chelsey most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chelsey are Texas (2,272 births), California (2,258 births), Ohio (1,460 births).
How long has the name Chelsey been used? ▼
Records for Chelsey go back to 1969, giving 57 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Chelsey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cheryl, Chelsea, Cheyenne, Cheri, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Chelsey's data
- Chelsey's decade-level peak was the 1990s (16,838 total births); usage has since declined to 205 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Chelseys (2,272 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chelsey
Nearby Names Like Chelsey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chelsey
Cheryl Girl
#3977 439,539 births
Chelsea Girl
#789 162,884 births
Cheyenne Girl
#870 70,732 births
Cheri Girl
#10373 36,068 births
Cherie Girl
#6950 29,969 births
Compare Chelsey side by side: Chelsey vs Cheryl Chelsey vs Chelsea Chelsey vs Cheyenne
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Chelsey
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1969–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chelsey: #5482 Girls' Name - 31,498 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chelsey. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Chelsey draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.