Total births
473,965
Unisex name · since 1907
Kelly
Kelly has 473,965 recorded births since 1907 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1977 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #867
- among girls today
- 473,965
- born since 1907
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
473,965 babies have been named Kelly since 1907, making it today's #867 unisex name.
Kelly has 473,965 recorded births among girls since 1907, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #867 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of girls, busiest in the 1970s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1907 to 2025.
- #867 among girls today
- 473,965 born since 1907
- 1970s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kelly is currently the #867 unisex name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 473,965 born since 1907, peaking in the 1970s.
- #867
- among girls today
- 473,965
- born since 1907
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Kelly vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#867
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Kelly was born in this single decade.
1977
Single peak year
18,234 babies were named Kelly in 1977 - its busiest year on record.
How Kelly compares
473,965 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Kelly's all-time total is 1,241x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelly | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 473,965 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 18,234 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kelly's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Kelly's SSA record in two at 1967 and the more recent half accounts for 80% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 20%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1907, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1977 peak of 18,234, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Kelly at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1977
Current rank
#867
Active since
1907
Kelly popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1907–2025
- Peak year (1977)
- 18,234
- Annual births at peak, across 119 years of records
Kelly popularity over time - boys
82,400 total births recorded since 1880 (Kelly as boys' name)
Kelly by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Kelly's strongest decade.
133,545 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Kelly births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 17
1900s
17 births
- 1910s 73
1910s
73 births
- 1920s 118
1920s
118 births
- 1930s 127
1930s
127 births
- 1940s 559
1940s
559 births
- 1950s 15,358
1950s
15,358 births
- 1960s
1960s
128,053 births
- 1970s
1970s
133,545 births
- 1980s
1980s
109,539 births
- 1990s
1990s
55,724 births
- 2000s 21,618
2000s
21,618 births
- 2010s 7,204
2010s
7,204 births
- 2020s 2,030
2020s
2,030 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 133,545 births (28% of all-time use).
How Kelly 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 Kelly's total volume
Kelly vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kelly by state
Where Kelly concentrates geographically, total births since 1907
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 47,515 | 10.0% |
| #2 | New York | | 36,710 | 7.7% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 31,061 | 6.6% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 29,328 | 6.2% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 27,035 | 5.7% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 25,024 | 5.3% |
| #7 | Texas | | 22,375 | 4.7% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 18,075 | 3.8% |
California share of Kelly's total US births 10.0%
Even split
47,515 of 473,965 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kelly appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelly? ▼
473,965 babies have been named Kelly since 1907. It currently ranks #867 among girls. The peak year was 1977 with 18,234 births.
When was Kelly most popular? ▼
Kelly was most popular in the 1970s decade with 133,545 total births. The single peak year was 1977.
Where is Kelly most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kelly are California (47,515 births), New York (36,710 births), Pennsylvania (31,061 births).
Is Kelly a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Kelly is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 473,965 births, and as a boy's name it has 82,400 births.
How long has the name Kelly been used? ▼
Records for Kelly go back to 1907, giving 119 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kelly? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kelsey, Kelli, Kellie, Kelley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kelly's data
- Kelly's decade-level peak was the 1970s (133,545 total births); usage has since declined to 2,030 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kellys (47,515 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 Kelly
Nearby Names Like Kelly
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelly
Kelsey Girl
#673 150,416 births
Kelli Girl
#7320 74,891 births
Kellie Girl
#6955 50,754 births
Kelley Girl
#6681 46,099 births
Kelsie Girl
#2307 19,591 births
Compare Kelly side by side: Kelly vs Kelsey Kelly vs Kelli Kelly vs Kellie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelly
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1907–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kelly: #867 Unisex Name - 473,965 Births, Peak 1977." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kelly. 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 Kelly 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 June 2026.