Kelsey
An English place name and surname, “Cenel’s island.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Kelsey first shows up in the national records in 1891. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1987 to 2001. Its biggest year was 1992, when 11,713 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 23 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 814 for girls. All told, 155,738 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Kelsie (19,936), Kelsi (10,151), Kelcie (3,335), Kelsy (3,270), Kelcey (2,821), Kelci (2,429) (total births since 1880)
Explore Kelsey interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 41 | No. 3593 |
| 1950s | 139 | No. 2376 |
| 1960s | 226 | No. 1835 |
| 1970s | 1,111 | No. 737 |
| 1980s | 27,758 | No. 31 |
| 1990s | 85,134 | No. 23 |
| 2000s | 23,380 | No. 88 |
| 2010s | 9,901 | No. 233 |
| 2020s | 2,726 | No. 525 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.