Girls' name · since 1945
Kelli
Since 1945, U.S. Social Security records show 74,891 babies named Kelli, peaking in 1970. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #462 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,600 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 74,891
- born since 1945
- 1970s
- peak decade
Kelli currently ranks #6600 among girls' names in America, with 74,891 babies recorded since 1945.
Social Security Administration records show Kelli recorded 74,891 times among girls since 1945, holding rank #6600 nationally today, ahead of 62% of girls, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1945 to 2025.
- #462 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #6,600 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 74,891 born since 1945
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelli ranks #462 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #6,600 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 74,891 born since 1945, peaking in the 1970s.
- #462 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #6,600 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 74,891
- born since 1945
- 1970s
- peak decade
Kelli's 74,891 recorded births place it above 99.36% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Kelli compares
74,891 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Kelli's all-time total is 199x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelli | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 74,891 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,331 | 21 | 19,840 |
Kelli's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kelli's full recorded timeline at 1986, 28% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 72% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1945, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1970 peak of 3,331 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kelli popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1945–2025
- Peak year (1970)
- 3,331
- Annual births at peak, across 81 years of records
Kelli popularity over time - boys
301 total births recorded since 1963 (Kelli as boys' name)
Kelli by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (21,540 births, 29% of the file).
1970s was Kelli's strongest decade.
21,540 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Kelli births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 19
1940s
19 births
- 1950s 1,986
1950s
1,986 births
- 1960s
1960s
16,867 births
- 1970s
1970s
21,540 births
- 1980s
1980s
21,049 births
- 1990s
1990s
10,237 births
- 2000s 2,570
2000s
2,570 births
- 2010s 490
2010s
490 births
- 2020s 133
2020s
133 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 21,540 births (29% of all-time use).
How Kelli 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 Kelli's total volume
Kelli by state
Where Kelli concentrates geographically, total births since 1945
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,604 | 8.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5,705 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 4,384 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 3,785 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 3,517 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 2,857 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Indiana | | 2,514 | 3.4% |
| #8 | Florida | | 2,495 | 3.3% |
6,604 of 74,891 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kelli appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelli? ▼
Where does Kelli sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kelli most popular? ▼
Where is Kelli most popular? ▼
How long has the name Kelli been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kelli? ▼
What to do with Kelli's data
- Kelli's decade-level peak was the 1970s (21,540 total births); usage has since declined to 133 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kellis (6,604 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 Kelli
Nearby Names Like Kelli
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelli
Compare Kelli side by side: Kelli vs Kelly Kelli vs Kelsey Kelli vs Kellie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelli
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kelli: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1970)
Similar record span (~80 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, 1945–2025 (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 Kelli 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.