Kelsey

#814 for girls in 2025, 335 births · #6,143 for boys in 2025, 14 births
Given to girls 96.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1992 · 11,713 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
15 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
150,416
since 1942

Kelsey over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201987peak #23, 1992girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#814335#6,14314
2024#673430#9,8947
2023#663444#7,28911
2022#632466#4,44223
2021#623477#7,08911
2020#525574#5,69915
2019#470664#5,55516
2018#420740#5,32017
2017#396788#4,93519
2016#383859#7,60510
2015#343955#5,05818
2014#3281,017#4,70220
2013#3041,049#6,60312
2012#2671,214#3,80727
2011#2541,266#3,99425
2010#2331,349#4,84819
2009#2121,521#4,16024
2008#1951,716#3,34433
2007#2011,699#3,02538
2006#1851,898#2,54247
2005#1731,960#2,80338
2004#1482,198#1,74872
2003#1302,569#2,47042
2002#1182,883#2,09251
2001#1003,267#1,65970
2000#883,669#1,76862
1999#724,400#1,32091
1998#565,551#1,23199
1997#575,573#1,19899
1996#367,655#930140
1995#338,184#862157
1994#299,749#827166
1993#2411,380#829161
1992#2311,713#802169
1991#2611,435#747186
1990#329,494#726197
1989#319,256#631250
1988#645,452#649213
1987#674,574#720161
1986#1122,517#769140
1985#1681,699#805121
1984#1771,555#784122
1983#2241,116#813115
1982#310791#865106
1981#434490#890100
1980#601308#92094
1979#737222#92690
1978#887164#94584
1977#959144#92884
1976#1,055116#832101
1975#1,111105#84197
1974#1,23988#95373
1973#1,31277#94173
1972#1,32576#94373
1971#1,45671#96571
1970#1,82848#94072
1969#1,83545#1,28038
1968#2,53824#1,21739
1967#2,07932#1,57324
1966#3,04017#1,61323
1965#3,14916#1,91817
1964#2,82520#1,65523
1963#2,61922#1,90218
1962#2,81419#1,75721
1961#2,95718#2,14815
1960#3,51213#1,77221
1959#3,10415#1,58825
1958#2,37623#2,26513
1957#3,48912#1,83719
1956#3,49312#1,67622
1955#2,83916#2,21913
1954#3,01914#1,76219
1953#2,51618#2,09914
1952#3,55210#2,15313
1951#3,7149#1,83817
1950#3,42310#2,5809
1949#4,6736#1,50124
1948#3,5939#1,70319
1947#4,0078#2,8628
1946#3,9947#1,81316
1945#4,0256#2,00912
1944—#2,08012
1943—#2,18212
1942#4,6225#1,94614
1941—#2,20711
1940—#2,6718
1939—#2,28810
1938—#2,08412
1937—#1,82815
1936—#2,6298
1935—#2,7198
1934—#3,6795
1933—#2,36810
1932—#2,31311
1931—#2,20712
1930—#1,88916
1929—#2,45211
1928—#2,38712
1927—#2,70310
1926—#2,07415
1925—#1,87018
1924—#2,22914
1923—#2,02016
1922—#2,80110
1921—#2,15215
1920—#3,4897
1919—#2,26513
1918—#2,07315
1917—#2,42311
1916—#2,15213
1915—#2,6219
1914—#2,10110
1913—#1,67611
1912—#1,61910
1911——
1910—#1,5895
1909——
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1907——
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1891—#9635
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First appearance
1942

The first year at least five girls were named Kelsey! It came in at #4,622, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1942–1944, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Kelsey is popular in 1987

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #43 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 163 girlsAKMaine: #56 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 229 girlsMEVermont: #55 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 178 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #59 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 218 girlsNHWashington: #24 for girls · 219 births · 1 in 124 girlsWAIdaho: #28 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 121 girlsIDMontana: #28 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 113 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #16 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 74 girlsNDMinnesota: #26 for girls · 249 births · 1 in 108 girlsMNIllinois: #69 for girls · 218 births · 1 in 333 girlsILWisconsin: #44 for girls · 146 births · 1 in 198 girlsWIMichigan: #63 for girls · 181 births · 1 in 320 girlsMINew York: #167 for girls · 119 births · 1 in 940 girlsNYMassachusetts: #108 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 544 girlsMARhode Island: #61 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 227 girlsRIOregon: #21 for girls · 139 births · 1 in 110 girlsORNevada: #36 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 166 girlsNVWyoming: #24 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 91 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #12 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 61 girlsSDIowa: #24 for girls · 142 births · 1 in 110 girlsIAIndiana: #52 for girls · 131 births · 1 in 245 girlsINOhio: #59 for girls · 222 births · 1 in 305 girlsOHPennsylvania: #79 for girls · 170 births · 1 in 407 girlsPANew Jersey: #139 for girls · 56 births · 1 in 778 girlsNJConnecticut: #86 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 365 girlsCTCalifornia: #94 for girls · 453 births · 1 in 475 girlsCAUtah: #40 for girls · 69 births · 1 in 194 girlsUTColorado: #36 for girls · 123 births · 1 in 171 girlsCONebraska: #33 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 132 girlsNEMissouri: #54 for girls · 122 births · 1 in 256 girlsMOKentucky: #78 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 394 girlsKYWest Virginia: #113 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 567 girlsWVVirginia: #82 for girls · 80 births · 1 in 434 girlsVAMaryland: #101 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 521 girlsMDDelaware: #93 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 380 girlsDEArizona: #71 for girls · 75 births · 1 in 326 girlsAZNew Mexico: #82 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 381 girlsNMKansas: #25 for girls · 127 births · 1 in 112 girlsKSArkansas: #89 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 409 girlsARTennessee: #93 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 513 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #129 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 717 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #130 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 673 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #132 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 518 girlsDCOklahoma: #38 for girls · 101 births · 1 in 177 girlsOKLouisiana: #108 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 572 girlsLAMississippi: #143 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 700 girlsMSAlabama: #164 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 861 girlsALGeorgia: #122 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 664 girlsGAHawaii: #46 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 180 girlsHITexas: #88 for girls · 269 births · 1 in 479 girlsTXFlorida: #111 for girls · 107 births · 1 in 649 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. South Dakota#12 · 1 in 61
  2. North Dakota#16 · 1 in 74
  3. Oregon#21 · 1 in 110
  4. Wyoming#24 · 1 in 91
  5. Iowa#24 · 1 in 110

Best ever in a state: #6 in Montana, 1992.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
South Dakota#12661 in 61
North Dakota#16541 in 74
Oregon#211391 in 110
Iowa#241421 in 110
Washington#242191 in 124
Wyoming#24221 in 91
Kansas#251271 in 112
Minnesota#262491 in 108
Idaho#28431 in 121
Montana#28341 in 113
Nebraska#33701 in 132
Colorado#361231 in 171
Nevada#36321 in 166
Oklahoma#381011 in 177
Utah#40691 in 194
Alaska#43221 in 163
Wisconsin#441461 in 198
Hawaii#46271 in 180
Indiana#521311 in 245
Missouri#541221 in 256
Vermont#55151 in 178
Maine#56271 in 229
New Hampshire#59291 in 218
Ohio#592221 in 305
Rhode Island#61231 in 227
Michigan#631811 in 320
Illinois#692181 in 333
Arizona#71751 in 326
Kentucky#78531 in 394
Pennsylvania#791701 in 407
New Mexico#82251 in 381
Virginia#82801 in 434
Connecticut#86501 in 365
Texas#882691 in 479
Arkansas#89301 in 409
Delaware#9391 in 380
Tennessee#93551 in 513
California#944531 in 475
Maryland#101491 in 521
Louisiana#108461 in 572
Massachusetts#108661 in 544
Florida#1111071 in 649
West Virginia#113161 in 567
Georgia#122591 in 664
North Carolina#129521 in 717
South Carolina#130271 in 673
District of Columbia#132111 in 518
New Jersey#139561 in 778
Mississippi#143191 in 700
Alabama#164251 in 861
New York#1671191 in 940

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Kelsey
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 141 spots since 2024 (#673 → #814)
  • 289 spots since 2020 (#525 → #814)
  • 471 spots since 2015 (#343 → #814)
  • Biggest jump: 167 spots in 1981 (#601 → #434)
  • Biggest drop: 141 spots in 2025 (#673 → #814)
Rise & fade · girls
50 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1942
  • Peaked 1992 at #23 (11,713 births)
  • Births halved by 1997, 5 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 15 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 15 yrs · run 1987–2001
  • Top 1,000: 49 yrs · run 1977–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 157
  • Highest: 1 in 157 girls born in 1992 were named Kelsey (0.64%)
  • Latest: 1 in 4,798 girls born in 2025 (0.02%)
Era · girls
The 1990s
  • 56.6% of all girls named Kelsey (85,134) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1940s41#3,593 (1948)#4,152
1950s139#2,376 (1958)#3,153
1960s226#1,835 (1969)#2,737
1970s1,111#737 (1979)#1,191
1980s27,758#31 (1989)#219
1990s85,134#23 (1992)#39
2000s23,380#88 (2000)#155
2010s9,901#233 (2010)#340
2020s2,726#525 (2020)#655

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Kelsey in 1987

girls
#67
4,574 births · 1 in 380 girls
boys
#720
161 births · 1 in 11,596 boys

Top girls' names in 1987

  1. #1Jessica55,992
  2. #2Ashley54,856
  3. #3Amanda41,786
  4. #4Jennifer32,710
  5. #5Sarah27,894
  6. #6Stephanie22,402
  7. #7Brittany22,231
  8. #8Nicole20,286
  9. #9Heather18,982
  10. #10Elizabeth18,608
  11. #67Kelsey4,574

Top boys' names in 1987

  1. #1Michael63,664
  2. #2Christopher54,493
  3. #3Matthew46,511
  4. #4Joshua40,002
  5. #5David36,795
  6. #6Andrew36,206
  7. #7Daniel35,876
  8. #8James32,659
  9. #9Justin31,491
  10. #10Robert30,237
  11. #720Kelsey161
More about 1987

girls

1,738,632 girls got a published name in 1987; 1 in 380 of them was named Kelsey, which outranked 99.5% of the 13,263 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kelsey
  1. #64Monica4,809
  2. #65Julie4,737
  3. #66Hannah4,594
  4. #67Kelsey4,574
  5. #68Cassandra4,555
  6. #69Tara4,446
  7. #70Krystal4,378
Biggest movers since 1986
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,808Janay#2,195 → #387
  2. ↑ 1,048Channing#1,638 → #590
  3. ↑ 786Ayla#1,380 → #594
  4. ↑ 714Yessenia#1,439 → #725
  5. ↑ 648Denisse#1,602 → #954
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,153Halley#580 → #1,733
  2. ↓ 674Cherrelle#879 → #1,553
  3. ↓ 637Sharday#933 → #1,570
  4. ↓ 613Sharde#873 → #1,486
  5. ↓ 539Shardae#832 → #1,371

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,866,984 boys got a published name in 1987; 1 in 11,596 of them was named Kelsey, which outranked 91.2% of the 8,152 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kelsey
  1. #717Cale162
  2. #717Ellis162
  3. #717Ezekiel162
  4. #720Kelsey161
  5. #720Bennett161
  6. #720Ervin161
  7. #720Joesph161
  8. #724Elmer160
  9. #724Kameron160
  10. #726Brant158

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1986
Risers
  1. ↑ 994Trevin#1,962 → #968
  2. ↑ 819Conner#1,617 → #798
  3. ↑ 593Mychal#1,363 → #770
  4. ↑ 503Jaren#1,457 → #954
  5. ↑ 457Corbin#1,049 → #592
Fallers
  1. ↓ 623Durell#816 → #1,439
  2. ↓ 336Jayce#694 → #1,030
  3. ↓ 267Rasheed#921 → #1,188
  4. ↓ 263Deshaun#971 → #1,234
  5. ↓ 260Britt#880 → #1,140

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1987 →