Unisex name · since 1919
Kelley
Since 1919, U.S. Social Security records show 46,099 babies named Kelley, peaking in 1968. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #624 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #7,170 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 46,099
- born since 1919
- 1960s
- peak decade
Kelley currently ranks #7170 among unisex names in America, with 46,099 babies recorded since 1919.
Social Security Administration records show Kelley recorded 46,099 times among girls since 1919, holding rank #7170 nationally today, ahead of 59% of girls, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2025.
- #624 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #7,170 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 46,099 born since 1919
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelley ranks #624 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #7,170 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 46,099 born since 1919, peaking in the 1960s.
- #624 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #7,170 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 46,099
- born since 1919
- 1960s
- peak decade
Kelley's 46,099 recorded births place it above 99.13% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Kelley compares
46,099 Top 4% higher than 96% of 17,297 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
Kelley's all-time total is 123x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelley | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 46,099 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,918 | 21 | 19,840 |
Kelley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kelley splits its recorded history at 1982: 31% of all births land in the more recent half, 69% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1920 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1968 peak of 1,918 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kelley popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2025
- Peak year (1968)
- 1,918
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Kelley popularity over time - boys
6,286 total births recorded since 1882 (Kelley as boys' name)
Kelley by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (14,747 births, 32% of the file).
1960s was Kelley's strongest decade.
14,747 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 32% of all-time use.
Kelley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1940s 81
1940s
81 births
- 1950s 2,237
1950s
2,237 births
- 1960s
1960s
14,747 births
- 1970s
1970s
12,745 births
- 1980s
1980s
9,788 births
- 1990s 4,935
1990s
4,935 births
- 2000s 1,111
2000s
1,111 births
- 2010s 329
2010s
329 births
- 2020s 115
2020s
115 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 14,747 births (32% of all-time use).
How Kelley 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 Kelley's total volume
Kelley by state
Where Kelley concentrates geographically, total births since 1919
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 4,695 | 10.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 3,307 | 7.2% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 2,804 | 6.1% |
| #4 | New York | | 2,155 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 2,082 | 4.5% |
| #6 | Massachusetts | | 1,931 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 1,870 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 1,724 | 3.7% |
4,695 of 46,099 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kelley appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelley? ▼
Where does Kelley sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kelley most popular? ▼
Where is Kelley most popular? ▼
Is Kelley a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Kelley been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kelley? ▼
What to do with Kelley's data
- Kelley's decade-level peak was the 1960s (14,747 total births); usage has since declined to 115 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kelleys (4,695 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kelley
Nearby Names Like Kelley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelley
Compare Kelley side by side: Kelley vs Kelly Kelley vs Kelsey Kelley vs Kelli
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelley
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kelley: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1968)
Similar record span (~106 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, 1919–2025 (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 Kelley 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.