Total births
4,356
Girls' name · since 1955
Keli
Keli has 4,356 recorded births since 1955 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1979 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #15604
- among girls today
- 4,356
- born since 1955
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other girls
Keli currently ranks #15604 among girls' names in America, with 4,356 babies recorded since 1955.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Keli has been recorded 4,356 times among girls since 1955, currently ranked #15604 nationally and more common than 12% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1955 to 2025.
- #15604 among girls today
- 4,356 born since 1955
- 1970s peak decade
- 12% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Keli is currently the #15604 girls' name in America, more common than 12% of girls - 4,356 born since 1955, peaking in the 1970s.
- #15604
- among girls today
- 4,356
- born since 1955
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other girls
Keli vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15604
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 12% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Keli was born in this single decade.
1979
Single peak year
190 babies were named Keli in 1979 - its busiest year on record.
How Keli compares
4,356 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Keli's all-time total is 11x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Keli | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 4,356 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 190 | 48 | 19,840 |
Keli's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Keli splits its recorded history at 1988: 25% of all births land in the more recent half, 75% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2018 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1979 peak of 190 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Keli at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1979
Current rank
#15,604
Active since
1955
Keli popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1955–2025
- Peak year (1979)
- 190
- Annual births at peak, across 71 years of records
Keli popularity over time - boys
49 total births recorded since 1975 (Keli as boys' name)
Keli by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Keli's strongest decade.
1,285 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Keli births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 98
1950s
98 births
- 1960s
1960s
849 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,285 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,258 births
- 1990s
1990s
553 births
- 2000s 220
2000s
220 births
- 2010s 61
2010s
61 births
- 2020s 32
2020s
32 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,285 births (29% of all-time use).
How Keli 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 Keli's total volume
Keli vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Keli by state
Where Keli concentrates geographically, total births since 1955
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 356 | 8.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 312 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 176 | 4.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 173 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 152 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 126 | 2.9% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 102 | 2.3% |
| #8 | Florida | | 95 | 2.2% |
California share of Keli's total US births 8.2%
Even split
356 of 4,356 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 28 reporting states.
Keli appears in 28 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Keli? ▼
4,356 babies have been named Keli since 1955. It currently ranks #15604 among girls. The peak year was 1979 with 190 births.
When was Keli most popular? ▼
Keli was most popular in the 1970s decade with 1,285 total births. The single peak year was 1979.
Where is Keli most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Keli are California (356 births), Texas (312 births), Ohio (176 births).
How long has the name Keli been used? ▼
Keli has been recorded in Social Security data since 1955, spanning 71 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Keli? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kelly, Kelsey, Kelli, Kellie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Keli's data
- Keli's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,285 total births); usage has since declined to 32 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kelis (356 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Keli
Nearby Names Like Keli
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Keli
Kelly Girl
#867 473,965 births
Kelsey Girl
#673 150,416 births
Kelli Girl
#7320 74,891 births
Kellie Girl
#6955 50,754 births
Kelley Girl
#6681 46,099 births
Compare Keli side by side: Keli vs Kelly Keli vs Kelsey Keli vs Kelli
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Keli
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1955–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Keli: #15604 Girls' Name - 4,356 Births, Peak 1979." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/keli. 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 Keli 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 July 2026.