Unisex name · since 1979
Kelechi
Kelechi has 586 recorded births since 1979 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2002 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #7,171 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,246 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 586
- born since 1979
- 2000s
- peak decade
586 babies have been named Kelechi since 1979, making it today's #6246 unisex name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelechi has been recorded 586 times among boys since 1979, currently ranked #6246 nationally and more common than 55% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2025.
- #7,171 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #6,246 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 586 born since 1979
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelechi ranks #7,171 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,246 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 586 born since 1979, peaking in the 2000s.
- #7,171 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #6,246 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 586
- born since 1979
- 2000s
- peak decade
Kelechi's 586 recorded births place it above 84.21% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
How Kelechi compares
586 Top 41% higher than 59% 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
Kelechi's all-time total is 59% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelechi | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 586 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 34 | 22,252 |
Kelechi's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kelechi's SSA record in two at 2004 and the more recent half accounts for 52% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 48%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1979, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 2002 peak of 24, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kelechi popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2025
- Peak year (2002)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 47 years of records
Currently ranks #6246 among boys.
586 total births across 47 years of SSA records. Peaked in 2002 with 24 births in a single year.
Kelechi popularity over time - girls
261 total births recorded since 1980 (Kelechi as girls' name)
Unisex use is substantial
The girls' variant of Kelechi accounts for 31% of total recorded use across both genders.
Kelechi by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (170 births, 29% of the file).
2000s was Kelechi's strongest decade.
170 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Kelechi births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 61
1980s
61 births
- 1990s
1990s
149 births
- 2000s
2000s
170 births
- 2010s
2010s
130 births
- 2020s
2020s
70 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 170 births (29% of all-time use).
Kelechi decade highlights
- Peak decade 170 births
- Runner-up 149 births
- Modern era share 2010s + 2020s
- Decades tracked with recorded births
How Kelechi 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 Kelechi's total volume
Kelechi by state
Where Kelechi concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 24 | 4.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 13 | 2.2% |
| #3 | California | | 5 | 0.9% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.9% |
24 of 586 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Top 5 states
- Texas 4.1% of nationwide
- New York 2.2% of nationwide
- California 0.9% of nationwide
- Georgia 0.9% of nationwide
Recorded in 4 of 51 SSA jurisdictions
Texas accounts for 4.1% of all recorded births nationwide - a relatively diffuse profile for this name.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Kelechi's data
- Kelechi's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (170 total births) through the 2020s (70) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Kelechis (24 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 Kelechi
Nearby Names Like Kelechi
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelechi
Compare Kelechi side by side: Kelechi vs Kelly Kelechi vs Kelvin Kelechi vs Kellen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelechi
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kelechi: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2002)
Similar record span (~46 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, 1979–2025 (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 Kelechi 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.
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