Total births
3,231
Girls' name · since 1974
Kelsy
Kelsy has 3,231 recorded births since 1974 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1992 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5489
- among girls today
- 3,231
- born since 1974
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Kelsy is the #5489 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 3,231 recorded since 1974.
Kelsy has 3,231 recorded births among girls since 1974, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5489 as of the latest data, more common than 69% of girls, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1974 to 2025.
- #5489 among girls today
- 3,231 born since 1974
- 1990s peak decade
- 69% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kelsy is currently the #5489 girls' name in America, more common than 69% of girls - 3,231 born since 1974, peaking in the 1990s.
- #5489
- among girls today
- 3,231
- born since 1974
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other girls
Kelsy vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5489
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 69% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
45% of everyone ever named Kelsy was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
163 babies were named Kelsy in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Kelsy compares
3,231 Top 17% higher than 83% 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
Kelsy's all-time total is 8x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kelsy | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,231 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 163 | 48 | 19,840 |
Kelsy's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kelsy's full recorded timeline at 2000, 35% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 65% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1974, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1992 peak of 163 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kelsy at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1992
Current rank
#5,489
Active since
1974
Kelsy popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1974–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 163
- Annual births at peak, across 52 years of records
Kelsy popularity over time - boys
39 total births recorded since 1976 (Kelsy as boys' name)
Kelsy by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kelsy's strongest decade.
1,451 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
Kelsy births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 58
1970s
58 births
- 1980s
1980s
586 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,451 births
- 2000s
2000s
709 births
- 2010s 313
2010s
313 births
- 2020s 114
2020s
114 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 1,451 births (45% of all-time use).
How Kelsy 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 Kelsy's total volume
Kelsy vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Kelsy by state
Where Kelsy concentrates geographically, total births since 1974
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 306 | 9.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 202 | 6.3% |
| #3 | New York | | 99 | 3.1% |
| #4 | Washington | | 97 | 3.0% |
| #5 | Florida | | 83 | 2.6% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 66 | 2.0% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 65 | 2.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 53 | 1.6% |
California share of Kelsy's total US births 9.5%
Even split
306 of 3,231 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 27 reporting states.
Kelsy appears in 27 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kelsy? ▼
3,231 babies have been named Kelsy since 1974. It currently ranks #5489 among girls. The peak year was 1992 with 163 births.
When was Kelsy most popular? ▼
Kelsy was most popular in the 1990s decade with 1,451 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Kelsy most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kelsy are California (306 births), Texas (202 births), New York (99 births).
How long has the name Kelsy been used? ▼
Records for Kelsy go back to 1974, giving 52 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Kelsy? ▼
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 Kelsy's data
- Kelsy's decade-level peak was the 1990s (1,451 total births); usage has since declined to 114 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kelsys (306 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 Kelsy
Nearby Names Like Kelsy
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kelsy
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 Kelsy side by side: Kelsy vs Kelly Kelsy vs Kelsey Kelsy vs Kelli
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kelsy
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, 1974–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kelsy: #5489 Girls' Name - 3,231 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kelsy. 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 Kelsy 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.