A 1970s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Keli since 1955
Babies named Keli per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 98 |
| 1960s | 849 |
| 1970s | 1,285 |
| 1980s | 1,258 |
| 1990s | 553 |
| 2000s | 220 |
| 2010s | 61 |
| 2020s | 32 |
Meaning & origin
Keli, a phonetic spelling of Kelly, first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1955. Its peak popularity came in 1979, though it never broke into the top 1000. After declining for decades, the name has been rising in use since 2018, with 2025 seeing about 1 in every 200,908 newborn girls named Keli. The variant reflects a broader trend of simplified spellings for Irish names, appealing to parents seeking a familiar sound with a distinctive look.
Keli is a phonetic respelling of Kelly, which derives from the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Ceallaigh, meaning 'descendant of Ceallach'. The personal name Ceallach is of debated origin, possibly meaning 'bright-headed' or 'warrior'. Kelly became widely used as a given name in English-speaking countries from the 20th century, and Keli emerged as a simplified spelling variant, particularly in the United States.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kel, Keke
Sibling names for Keli
Names that share Keli's style, for a brother or sister.
