Kelly (given name)


Kelly is a unisex given name derived from an Anglicized version of the Irish masculine name Ceallach or a transferred use of the Irish surname O'Ceallaigh. O'Ceallaigh, which means "descendant of Ceallach", was Anglicized as Kelly or O'Kelly; the meaning of the personal name Ceallach is uncertain. It could mean "bright-headed," or "strife" or "monastery church" in Irish. As a name of Irish origin, the Kelly surname is partially an anglicised version of older Irish names, especially Ó Ceallaigh, though the name Kelly is also present to a lesser extent in other Celtic cultures. Kelly is historically a male-only name, but has been used as a female given name since the 1960s, though with a significant minority usage as a masculine name, especially within Celtic families.

Etymology

The surname Kelly has multiple origins. There is a Clan Kelly in Scotland, possibly derived from a toponym Kelloe. The Irish surname may be from either Ó Ceallaigh or Ó Cadhla, or yet again from a toponym. The surname was established in the United States by the early 19th century, and it began to be used as a masculine name in the later 19th century. Feminine usage first appeared in the 1940s and surpassed masculine usage around 1957 due to the popularity of the American actress Grace Kelly.

Popularity

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kelly, as a name for a girl, was ranked No.900 in 1950, then steadily gained popularity until 1977 ; Kelly, as a name for a boy, was consistently in the top 800 from 1881 to 1939, then steadily gained popularity until 1968.
The feminine name reached two significant peaks, rank No.12 in 1968, then declining to rank No.23 in 1972, and again rising to rank No.10 in 1977; both the feminine and the masculine name have been in steady decline since reaching their respective popularity peaks; the masculine name fell below rank No.1000 in 2003; the feminine name lingers at rank No.367 as of 2013.
In the United Kingdom, it made its way into the top 50 during the 1970s and by 1984 was the 15th most popular feminine first name. However, 10 years later it had declined to 53rd place and by 1999 had fallen out of the top 100.

People with the name

Feminine name

Masculine name

Fictional characters