Fun Facts About the Name Kelis
- More than 2 thousand babies named Kelis: U.S. records list 2,877 babies given the name Kelis from 1880 through 2025. Even 6 boys received the name Kelis - about 1 boy for every 479 girls.
What Does the Name Kelis Mean?
Kelis is a rare given name, used mainly in the United States, whose meaning is uncertain. It has no established root in the older European naming stock: it is not a standard form in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, or the Germanic and Celtic languages. Reference works that include it usually treat it either as a modern coinage or as a respelling of Kelsey, an English surname long used as a given name. Those are two different explanations, and neither is securely documented. A resemblance to unrelated words, such as the Greek kēlis ("spot, blemish"), does not show a shared origin, since a similar sound by itself is not evidence of derivation.
Kelis Name History & Origins
The name is uncommon and appears chiefly in the United States, where it is used for girls. Its best-known bearer is the American singer Kelis Rogers, born in 1979, who records under her given name; her work from the late 1990s onward brought the name wider notice. No older language, saint, or royal house is associated with it, and its use does not follow a documented path through medieval or early modern records the way names such as Katherine or Eleanor do. Writers who link it to Kelsey are proposing a resemblance between two names rather than describing a recorded chain of transmission.
How Popular is the Name Kelis?
Kelis recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2007. Its best rank was #972 in 2007.
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 | #5,040 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2024 | #4,412 | 32 | 0.0020% |
| 2023 | #3,346 | 48 | 0.0030% |
| 2022 | #2,477 | 73 | 0.0045% |
| 2021 | #2,523 | 70 | 0.0043% |
| 2020 | #2,763 | 60 | 0.0037% |
| 2019 | #2,388 | 75 | 0.0045% |
| 2018 | #1,989 | 99 | 0.0058% |
| 2017 | #2,586 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 2016 | #2,495 | 73 | 0.0041% |
| 2015 | #2,099 | 93 | 0.0052% |
| 2014 | #1,897 | 106 | 0.0059% |
| 2013 | #1,933 | 103 | 0.0059% |
| 2012 | #1,508 | 148 | 0.0084% |
| 2011 | #1,735 | 119 | 0.0068% |
| 2010 | #1,606 | 135 | 0.0076% |
| 2009 | #1,245 | 199 | 0.0108% |
| 2008 | #1,363 | 178 | 0.0094% |
| 2007 | #972 | 277 | 0.0144% |
| 2006 | #1,082 | 235 | 0.0124% |
| 2005 | #1,484 | 142 | 0.0077% |
| 2004 | #1,178 | 191 | 0.0104% |
| 2003 | #2,037 | 88 | 0.0048% |
| 2002 | #2,297 | 71 | 0.0040% |
| 2001 | #2,756 | 54 | 0.0030% |
| 2000 | #1,637 | 108 | 0.0059% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,743 | 6 | 0.0003% |
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 Kelis 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 an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Kelis's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kelis's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.