Kelly

Updated: September 2, 2021 by MomsWhoThink Staff

Kelly has had an interesting journey as a given name. It started out as primarily a boy's name, but after the iconic Grace Kelley became a Hollywood star, parents thought it would make a wonderful girl's name. It does! So now Kelly has become a beautiful gender-neutral name that adds some Hollywood glam to an Irish name. Keep reading to find out more about this baby name.

Meaning of the name Kelly:

Irish: War, church; descendant of Ceallach

Origin of the name Kelly:

Irish. Kelly is based on the Gaelic word “ceallach,” which means “war” or ceall “church.” Primarily an Irish boy's name, it became popular as a girl's name in the 1950s.

Symbolism of the name Kelly:

Kelly as a name symbolizes faith, and strength. Having the meaning of both “war” and “church” it represents a force that is protective and faithful.

Style of the name Kelly:

Classic

Gender of the name Kelly:

Kelly is very much a gender-neutral name.

Pronunciation of the name Kelly:

k(el)-ly

Syllables in the name Kelly:

Two

Emotion evoked from the name Kelly:

The name Kelly evokes a feeling of strength, loyalty, and honor.

Alternative spellings for the name Kelly:

Kellie, Kelley

Nicknames for the name Kelly:

Kell, Lee

Popularity of the name Kelly:

According to the Social Security Administration index, Kelly was the 748th most popular girl name in 2020. As a boy's name, the last time it was in the top 1,000 most popular names was in 2002 when it ranked 884th.