Kelly
Irish
"war"Share
Copy link
Kelly Origin and Meaning
The name Kelly is a boy's name of Irish origin meaning "war".
A predominantly male name in the US until the late 1950s, the name continued to rise for both sexes for both sexes for a further decade, before starting to decline for boys. Despite dropping out of the boys' Top 1000 in 2002, Kelly retains a rugged Irish charm.
The name derives from Gaelic ceallach/em> "war" or ceall "church". It is also sometimes said to mean "bright-headed".
Famous fictional namesakes include 1960s (male) TV spy Kelly Robinson, as well as one of the (female) Charlie's Angels. Real-life namesakes include actor and dancer Gene Kelly, as well as the legendary Grace Kelly.
- Kelly Rank in US Top 1000
- Kelly Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
- Names Similar to Kelly
- Famous People Named Kelly
- Kelly in Pop Culture
- Kelly in Nameberry Blog Posts
# in the US
Kelly Rank in US Top 1000
# 1413 on Nameberry
Kelly Rank in Nameberry Top 1000
Kelly Popularity
20 Names Similar to Kelly
These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Kelly.
Famous People Named Kelly
- Kelly SlaterAmerican surfer
- Kelly Steven BlatzAmerican actor
- Kelly JohnsonAmerican baseball player
- Kelly Deshawn McCartyAmerican basketball player
- Kelly Wayne ChaseCanadian ice hockey player
- Kelly Wayne GruberAmerican baseball player
- (Bryan) Kelly HolcombAmerican football player
- Kelly L. KirchbaumAmerican football player
- Kelly Tyler OlynykCanadian basketball player
- Kelly Lee StinnettAmerican baseball player
- (Peter) Kelly TripuckaAmerican basketball player
- Kelly Crawford PerdewAmerican businessman and TV personality of "The Apprentice"
- Kelly Robert PavlikAmerican boxer
- Kelly HrudeyCanadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
- Clarence Leonard "Kelly" JohnsonAmerican systems engineer and aeronaut
- Kelly JonesWelsh singer of band Stereophonics
- Kelly RenoAmerican actor
- Kelly MonteithAmerican comedian
- Kelly MakinCanadian film director
- Kelly JonesAmerican tennis player
- Kelly Donovan (Schultz) American actor; twin brother Nicholas Brendan
- Gene KellyAmerican dancer/actor
- Ned KellyAustralian outlaw
- Nat Kelly Coleadopted son of Nat King Cole
- River Kelly Smith (b. 2016)son of country singer Granger Smith
- Kelly Paul Oubre JrAmerican basketball player
Kelly in Pop Culture
- Kelly SeverideTaylor Kinney's character on the TV series "Chicago Fire"
- Kelly SchadeBurkhardt, son of Adalind Schade & Nick Burkhardt 'Grimm'
- Dr. Kelly Brackettcharacter on TV's "Emergency!"
Kelly in Nameberry Blog Posts
- Vintage Boy Names: How To Find A Cool Old Name
- Celebrity Dog Names
- The Secret Meanings of Color Names
- Surfer Names Make Waves
- 100 Unisex Names for Boys
- Australian Baby Names: Digging Up Names From Down Under
- Names for November Babies
- Celebrity Baby Names: Vintage trendsetters from Old Hollywood
- NASCAR Baby Names: Racing Towards the Right Name
- Most Popular Girls’ Names: 130-Year Overview
- Top Boys Name For Each Letter: a 130-year survey
- Celebrity Grandparent Names
- Mythological Names: Ancient Greek vs Ancient Roman–take your pick!
- Yes, Millennial Mom Names Can Work for Alpha Era Girls!
- Unique Names We're Obsessed With
- 10 Names Going Back to the Boys
- What Are Your State’s Quirky Favorite Baby Names?
- The Most Nonbinary Names in Every State
- How I Named My Baby: John Aidan
- Unusual Baby Names: Aries to Zebedee
- British Baby Names Trends: 5 categories on the rise
- Nameberry Picks: 12 Most Modern Mythic Names
- Hidden Nature Names for Earth Day
- How I Named My Baby: Jeneva Mabelle
- Fancy Schmancy Starbaby Names
- Cool Boy Names: They’re ending in R!
- The REAL Top Baby Names of All Time!
- Unisex Names That Switched From Boy to Girl
- 24 Winter Babyberries Kick Off 2024
- Children's Books With Names in the Title
- Celebrity Cat Names
- Irish Baby Names: Top Choices Here and There