Unisex name · since 1948
Kelby
Kelby has 4,019 recorded births since 1948 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1991 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,079 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,245 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,019
- born since 1948
- 1990s
- peak decade
Kelby currently ranks #5245 among unisex names in America, with 4,019 babies recorded since 1948.
Social Security Administration records show Kelby recorded 4,019 times among boys since 1948, holding rank #5245 nationally today, ahead of 62% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1948 to 2025.
- #2,079 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #5,245 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 4,019 born since 1948
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelby ranks #2,079 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #5,245 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 4,019 born since 1948, peaking in the 1990s.
- #2,079 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #5,245 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 4,019
- born since 1948
- 1990s
- peak decade
Kelby's 4,019 recorded births place it above 95.42% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
30 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Kelby compares
4,019 Top 15% higher than 85% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Kelby's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelby | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,019 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 187 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kelby's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kelby's SSA record in two at 1989 and the more recent half accounts for 71% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 29%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1948, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1991 peak of 187, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kelby popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1948–2025
- Peak year (1991)
- 187
- Annual births at peak, across 78 years of records
Kelby popularity over time - girls
1,563 total births recorded since 1974 (Kelby as girls' name)
Kelby by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (1,364 births, 34% of the file).
1990s was Kelby's strongest decade.
1,364 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Kelby births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 10
1940s
10 births
- 1950s 63
1950s
63 births
- 1960s 86
1960s
86 births
- 1970s 474
1970s
474 births
- 1980s
1980s
637 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,364 births
- 2000s
2000s
829 births
- 2010s 432
2010s
432 births
- 2020s 124
2020s
124 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,364 births (34% of all-time use).
How Kelby compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Kelby's total volume
Kelby by state
Where Kelby concentrates geographically, total births since 1948
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 387 | 9.6% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 131 | 3.3% |
| #3 | Utah | | 95 | 2.4% |
| #4 | Missouri | | 90 | 2.2% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 61 | 1.5% |
| #6 | California | | 55 | 1.4% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 53 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 50 | 1.2% |
387 of 4,019 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 30 reporting states.
Kelby appears in 30 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelby? ▼
Where does Kelby sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kelby most popular? ▼
Where is Kelby most popular? ▼
Is Kelby a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Kelby been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kelby? ▼
What to do with Kelby's data
- Kelby's decade-level peak was the 1990s (1,364 total births); usage has since declined to 124 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Kelbys (387 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kelby
Nearby Names Like Kelby
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelby
Compare Kelby side by side: Kelby vs Kelly Kelby vs Kelvin Kelby vs Kellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelby
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kelby: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1991)
Similar record span (~77 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1948–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Kelby 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 August 2026.