Total births
150,416
Girls' name · since 1942
Kelsey
Since 1942, U.S. Social Security records show 150,416 babies named Kelsey, peaking in 1992. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #673
- among girls today
- 150,416
- born since 1942
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
150,416 babies have been named Kelsey since 1942, making it today's #673 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelsey has been recorded 150,416 times among girls since 1942, currently ranked #673 nationally and more common than 96% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1942 to 2025.
- #673 among girls today
- 150,416 born since 1942
- 1990s peak decade
- 96% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kelsey is currently the #673 girls' name in America, more common than 96% of girls - 150,416 born since 1942, peaking in the 1990s.
- #673
- among girls today
- 150,416
- born since 1942
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other girls
Kelsey vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#673
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 96% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
57% of everyone ever named Kelsey was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
11,713 babies were named Kelsey in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Kelsey compares
150,416 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Kelsey's all-time total is 394x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelsey | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 150,416 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 11,713 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kelsey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kelsey's full recorded timeline at 1985, 96% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 4% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1942, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1992 peak of 11,713 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kelsey at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1992
Current rank
#673
Active since
1942
Kelsey popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1942–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 11,713
- Annual births at peak, across 84 years of records
Kelsey popularity over time - boys
5,322 total births recorded since 1891 (Kelsey as boys' name)
Kelsey by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kelsey's strongest decade.
85,134 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 57% of all-time use.
Kelsey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 41
1940s
41 births
- 1950s 139
1950s
139 births
- 1960s 226
1960s
226 births
- 1970s 1,111
1970s
1,111 births
- 1980s 27,758
1980s
27,758 births
- 1990s
1990s
85,134 births
- 2000s 23,380
2000s
23,380 births
- 2010s 9,901
2010s
9,901 births
- 2020s 2,726
2020s
2,726 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 85,134 births (57% of all-time use).
How Kelsey 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 Kelsey's total volume
Kelsey vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kelsey by state
Where Kelsey concentrates geographically, total births since 1942
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 12,124 | 8.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 9,709 | 6.5% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 7,439 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 6,772 | 4.5% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 6,676 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Michigan | | 6,234 | 4.1% |
| #7 | New York | | 6,121 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 5,351 | 3.6% |
California share of Kelsey's total US births 8.1%
Even split
12,124 of 150,416 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Kelsey appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelsey? ▼
Since 1942, Social Security records show 150,416 babies named Kelsey. Today it holds rank #673 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1992, with 11,713 births.
When was Kelsey most popular? ▼
Kelsey was most popular in the 1990s decade with 85,134 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Kelsey most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kelsey are California (12,124 births), Texas (9,709 births), Ohio (7,439 births).
How long has the name Kelsey been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kelsey since 1942 -- 84 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Kelsey? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kelly, Kelli, Kellie, Kelley, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Kelsey's data
- Kelsey's decade-level peak was the 1990s (85,134 total births); usage has since declined to 2,726 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kelseys (12,124 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 Kelsey
Nearby Names Like Kelsey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelsey
Kelly Girl
#867 473,965 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 Kelsey side by side: Kelsey vs Kelly Kelsey vs Kelli Kelsey vs Kellie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelsey
Nia #672
25,422 births · Peak 2000
Selene #674
9,713 births · Peak 2025
Belen #671
12,287 births · Peak 2024
Lakelynn #675
2,652 births · Peak 2025
Chana #670
13,921 births · Peak 2024
Lottie #676
48,352 births · Peak 1916
Ellianna #669
6,212 births · Peak 2023
Loretta #677
177,564 births · Peak 1938
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, 1942–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kelsey: #673 Girls' Name - 150,416 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kelsey. 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 Kelsey 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.