Fun Facts About the Name Keli
- More than 4 thousand babies named Keli: U.S. records list 4,406 babies given the name Keli from 1880 through 2025. Even 49 boys received the name Keli - about 1 boy for every 89 girls.
What Does the Name Keli Mean?
Keli is an English spelling variant of Kelly, which means "descendant of Ceallach" and comes from Irish Gaelic. Kelly is an anglicized form of the surname Ó Ceallaigh. The personal name Ceallach is of uncertain meaning; it is often explained as "bright-headed" or connected with strife or war. In Hawaiian, Keli is sometimes a short form of Keliʻi, a name meaning "chief" or "king." The English and Hawaiian names are unrelated.
Keli Name History & Origins
The English name Keli follows the history of Kelly. Kelly is an anglicized form of the Gaelic Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh, the name of a powerful clan in Uí Maine, a kingdom in what is now eastern County Galway and southern County Roscommon. The surname means "descendant of Ceallach" and belongs to a family that claimed descent from a man of that name. The surname was carried to the English-speaking world through Irish emigration, and Kelly later became a given name. Keli is one of several respellings of that given name.
In Hawaiian, Keli has a separate background. It appears as a shorter form of Keliʻi, a traditional name meaning "chief" or "king." Hawaiian names of this type are often shortened in everyday use, and Keli can be used as an independent given name. This Hawaiian name is not derived from the Irish surname.
How Popular is the Name Keli?
Keli recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1979. Its best rank was #825 in 1979.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,424 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #16,424 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2022 | #11,720 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #16,474 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #14,281 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2018 | #16,909 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2016 | #9,151 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #15,468 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #15,591 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #10,076 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #10,789 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #10,129 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #11,085 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #6,455 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #6,694 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2006 | #8,492 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #8,108 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #6,367 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #4,073 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2002 | #3,551 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 2001 | #4,265 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2000 | #5,233 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #3,283 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 1998 | #3,876 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1997 | #3,130 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1996 | #3,266 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 1995 | #2,604 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 1994 | #2,443 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1993 | #2,081 | 66 | 0.0036% |
| 1992 | #1,864 | 76 | 0.0041% |
| 1991 | #1,758 | 82 | 0.0044% |
| 1990 | #1,712 | 86 | 0.0045% |
| 1989 | #1,501 | 96 | 0.0052% |
| 1988 | #1,329 | 108 | 0.0061% |
| 1987 | #1,243 | 114 | 0.0066% |
| 1986 | #1,144 | 125 | 0.0073% |
| 1985 | #1,189 | 119 | 0.0069% |
| 1984 | #1,201 | 109 | 0.0065% |
| 1983 | #1,020 | 138 | 0.0083% |
| 1982 | #1,085 | 131 | 0.0077% |
| 1981 | #1,000 | 146 | 0.0088% |
| 1980 | #890 | 172 | 0.0104% |
| 1979 | #825 | 190 | 0.0118% |
| 1978 | #870 | 169 | 0.0110% |
| 1977 | #839 | 178 | 0.0116% |
| 1976 | #984 | 130 | 0.0089% |
| 1975 | #1,132 | 103 | 0.0071% |
| 1974 | #1,179 | 95 | 0.0065% |
| 1973 | #1,178 | 92 | 0.0063% |
| 1972 | #1,088 | 105 | 0.0069% |
| 1971 | #1,049 | 115 | 0.0069% |
| 1970 | #1,091 | 109 | 0.0062% |
| 1969 | #1,045 | 110 | 0.0065% |
| 1968 | #1,025 | 103 | 0.0063% |
| 1967 | #1,134 | 87 | 0.0053% |
| 1966 | #882 | 130 | 0.0077% |
| 1965 | #962 | 114 | 0.0065% |
| 1964 | #1,388 | 66 | 0.0035% |
| 1963 | #1,452 | 59 | 0.0031% |
| 1962 | #1,318 | 71 | 0.0036% |
| 1961 | #1,390 | 65 | 0.0032% |
| 1960 | #1,710 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 1959 | #2,171 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1958 | #1,965 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1957 | #2,774 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1956 | #3,584 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1955 | #4,560 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | #10,497 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #10,058 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #7,454 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #7,582 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #6,879 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #6,798 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #6,308 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #5,502 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #4,563 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Keli Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Keli's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Keli's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.