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© 2026 Namesake · namesake.baby

Data: Social Security Administration, US births 1880–2024

Kelsey — Meaning, Origin & Popularity | Namesake
All names
Kelsen|Kelsi
Celtic◈ Unisex · 42% boy · 58% girl→ Stable

◈= unisex (gender-neutral)

Kelsey

◈

KEL-see · 2 syllables

Share Kelsey:
Compare with another name
Girl
#671
→ Stable
Girl
#671
Popularity score: 34
→ Stable
Peak
#527 in 2020
5yr
-7 ranks
Velocity
-7
Birth frequency
1.2 per 10,000 births
Boy
#10380
Popularity score: 7
↓ Fading
Peak
#4506 in 2022
5yr
-2857 ranks
Velocity
-2857
Birth frequency
1.9 per 1,000,000 births

Popularity Over Time

↑ Higher on this chart = more popular · ↓ Lower = less popular

How Popular Is This Name?

Bars show the range of popularity for each group. The dot shows where this name sits. Further right = more popular.

BOY
Average0255075100Popularity score (0–100)20202024

Rank #10380 · Falling since 2020

All US boy names
Top 200 boy names
Celtic boy names
Kelsey

Popularity score: 7  ·  SSA Rank: #10380

GIRL
Average0255075100Popularity score (0–100)20202024

Rank #671 · Falling since 2020

All US girl names
Top 200 girl names
Celtic girl names
Kelsey

Popularity score: 34  ·  SSA Rank: #671

Rare  ·  Distinctive  ·  Familiar  ·  Common  ·  Very Common

Popularity score: 0 = least popular, 100 = most popular. Based on SSA rank.

Namesake Score
72
Higher than 72% of names
Combines uniqueness, trend, meaning, feasibility, and search interest.
Trend
→ Stable
-7 ranks
Based on SSA rank velocity
Feasibility
Limited
.com taken · — · clear
Low friction, available
Uniqueness
65
1 per 10,000 births
Won't be common in class

Kelsey scores well on uniqueness but there are tradeoffs — domain availability is limited.

Meaning Depth37% of score
60
Name Trend28% of score
60
Uniqueness20% of score
65
Feasibility15% of score
50

Scores are percentile-ranked across 43,000+ names.

Name DNA
UnisexModernNatureEnglish-originPlace-name2-syllableCoolContemporary
People with this name

Qualities shared by notable Kelseys

determinedversatiledynamicengagingaccomplished
STRONG
High confidence

Kelsey is a Celtic unisex name with steady SSA rankings. It ranked #671 in the US in 2024.

Trend:→ Stable · -7 ranks
Feasibility:.com taken · — · clear
Popularity:#671 · rare
Kelsey at a Glance
Meaning:From a Norse personal name combined with Old English 'ey' (island). Originally a place name referring to an island belonging to Kelsey or a similar person.
Language root:Old Norse · Celtic · Old English
Peak rank:#527 in 2020
5yr change:-7 ranks
Sex usage:Girl #671 · Boy #10380
Notable bearers
Kelsey Grammer
Actor, producer
Kelsey Impicciche
Professional baseball player
Kelsey Chow
Actress
Kelsey Merritt
Model
Similar Sound
ChelseyKelly◈Kasey◈Lindsey◈Kinsey
Similar Style
Finley◈Riley◈Parker◈Morgan◈Cameron◈Blake◈
Works well with
Morgan◈Riley◈Avery◈Casey◈Quinn◈Drew◈Blake◈Rowan◈
You Might Also Like
Riley◈
Irish · #42
→ Stable
Morgan◈
Celtic · #276
→ Stable
Blake◈
English · #210
→ Stable
Ava
Celtic · #9
→ Stable
Aria
Celtic · #26
→ Stable
Ella
Celtic · #30
→ Stable
Source: Social Security Administration baby names data. Popularity data reflects US births. Feasibility data updated monthly.
Kelsey illustration
Name Intelligence
Kelsey · Overview
Summary

Kelsey is a Celtic unisex name with steady SSA rankings. It ranked #671 in the US in 2024.

Search interest: 20/100 → Stable

Strengths
Strong fundamentals
Kelsey scores 72/100 on the Namesake scale — meaning, origin, and trend all contribute positively.
Works for any sex
42% boy · 58% girl. A genuinely unisex name is rare at this level of distinctiveness.
Nature · Modern character
Kelsey carries a cool, grounded quality that makes it distinctive without being invented.
Considerations
Domain taken
kelsey.com is not available. Alternative TLDs may work.
Explore

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Data source:Social Security Administration
Coverage:US births 1879–2024
Updated:January 2025
ISR:Refreshes monthly
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