Kelsy
Kelsy was the 6981st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 16 babies. Its best year was 1992, when it ranked 1104th with 163 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,601 places. More babies were named Kelsy in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kelsey) Cēol's island (English place name) · Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #6,981 girls, down 487 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 16girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1992163 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,270babies recorded
What does the name Kelsy mean?
Kelsy is a spelling of Kelsey, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kelsey's meaning and origin.
Kelsey is an English habitational surname. Wiktionary derives it from Old English cēol, ship, a word also used as a personal name, plus īeg, island or dry ground in marsh, so "Cēol's island." The surname became a boys' name and then, from the mid-20th century, a girls' name; Wiktionary notes it was especially popular for girls in the 1990s. US records show it for boys from 1891 and for girls from 1942.
cēol (Old English, “ship; personal name Cēol”)īeġ (Old English, “island”)
How sure is this? Probable. Wiktionary only; place-name etymologies of this kind are sometimes uncertain.
Related names: Kelsie, Kelcie, Kelsi, Chelsea.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kelsey' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Kelsy popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 39 since 1976.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,981 | 16 |
| 2020 | #6,494 | 18 |
| 2010 | #3,596 | 44 |
| 2000 | #1,723 | 102 |
| 1990 | #1,142 | 151 |
| 1980 | #4,220 | 18 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kelsy, counting every spelling?
Kelsy is a spelling of Kelsey, a name family that ranked #587 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #6,981 for Kelsy on its own. Together these spellings went to 508 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelsey | 335 | #814 | 2,152 |
| Kelsie | 82 | #2,248 | 504 |
| Kelsea | 38 | #3,869 | 230 |
| Kelsi | 37 | #3,948 | 228 |
| Kelsy | 16 | #6,981 | 96 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kelsy?
16 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kelsy (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kelsy born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 529 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kelsy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kelsy?
About 3,200 people born in the US named Kelsy are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 22 and 35. That makes Kelsy mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kelsy by state
How common Kelsy was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kelsy: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kelsy, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kelsy
What does Kelsy mean?
Kelsy is a spelling of Kelsey, which means “Cēol's island (English place name)” (Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Kelsy?
Kelsy was the 6981st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 16 babies. Its best year was 1992, when it ranked 1104th with 163 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,601 places. More babies were named Kelsy in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Kelsy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kelsy in the US.
Where is Kelsy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kelsy was most common in Texas (0.01 per 1,000 girls).