What origin is the name Kelly?

Kelly comes from irish naming traditions. Names from this origin often carry meanings tied to nature, virtues or heritage.

Is Kelly a popular name?

Kelly is very rare in official US birth records — fewer than 5 babies of this gender were given the name in any year we checked.

What are good brother names for Kelly?

Names from the same irish tradition pair naturally with Kelly — for example Liam, Aiden, Aidan. You can browse more on our irish names page.

Kelly

Q: Is Kelly a rare name?

Yes. Kelly does not appear in US Social Security birth records, which list every name given to at least 5 babies, so it is rare in the US.

Discover the meaning and origin of the name Kelly

Kelly

Unisex

irish

2 syllables

Kelly is an irish unisex name meaning "Warrior; warrior/defender; wood. surname and place name that has only been used as a first name (either gender) in the latter half of the 20th century".

The meaning of Kelly is "Warrior; warrior/defender; wood. surname and place name that has only been used as a first name (either gender) in the latter half of the 20th century" — a unisex name of irish origin. It has 2 syllables.

Origin: irish
Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 2

Meaning compiled from public name lists.

Meaning

Warrior; warrior/defender; wood. surname and place name that has only been used as a first name (either gender) in the latter half of the 20th century

Popularity

Very rare in US records (source: US Social Security Administration birth records (best rank 2008–2017))

Quick answers about Kelly

Very rare in US records

What does Kelly mean?

Kelly is a unisex name of irish origin meaning "Warrior; warrior/defender; wood. surname and place name that has only been used as a first name (either gender) in the latter half of the 20th century".

Is Kelly a rare name?

Yes. Kelly does not appear in official US birth records for 2017, meaning fewer than 5 babies got the name that year.

Brother names that go with Kelly

Liam Aiden Aidan Sean Declan Patrick

Combine Kelly with another name

Our free name combiner blends two names into new baby name ideas.

Names with a similar meaning to Kelly

Kelly means "Warrior; warrior/defender; wood. surname and place name that has only been used as a first name (either gender) in the latter half of the 20th century" — these names share that spirit.