Kelsey
Girl name · #815 in 2025 · Rare
Kelsey ranks #815 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 335 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #343, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,373 girls born in 2025 was named Kelsey.
Babies named Kelsey per year. Source: SSA.
The 83-year story
Kelsey first appears in the Social Security records in 1942, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1992, when 11,713 girls were named Kelsey — good for #23 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Kelsey against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Kelsey in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Kelsey is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Kelsey will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Kelsey is most common
Geography matters for names, and Kelsey is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Kelsey is most common in MD (0.6 per 1,000), TN (0.5 per 1,000), GA (0.4 per 1,000), NJ (0.3 per 1,000), NY (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Kelsey is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Kelsey
Statistically, parents drawn to Kelsey tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kasey, Casey, Kacey, Hayley, and Shelby.
KaseyCaseyKaceyHayleyShelbyLindseyChelseaKarina
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Kelsey | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 335 | #814 |
| 2024 | 430 | #673 |
| 2023 | 444 | #663 |
| 2022 | 466 | #632 |
| 2021 | 477 | #623 |
| 2020 | 574 | #525 |
| 2019 | 664 | #470 |
| 2018 | 740 | #420 |
| 2017 | 788 | #396 |
| 2016 | 859 | #383 |
| 2015 | 955 | #343 |
| 2014 | 1,017 | #328 |
| 2013 | 1,049 | #304 |
| 2012 | 1,214 | #267 |
| 2011 | 1,266 | #254 |
| 2010 | 1,349 | #233 |
| 2009 | 1,521 | #212 |
| 2008 | 1,716 | #195 |
| 2007 | 1,699 | #201 |
| 2006 | 1,898 | #185 |
| 2005 | 1,960 | #173 |
| 2004 | 2,198 | #148 |
| 2003 | 2,569 | #130 |
| 2002 | 2,883 | #118 |
| 2001 | 3,267 | #100 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Kelsey a popular girl name?
Kelsey ranked #815 among girls in 2025 with 335 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #343.
When was the name Kelsey most popular?
Kelsey peaked in 1992, when 11,713 American girls received the name (ranked #23 that year). Since 1992 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Kelsey?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,373 newborn American girls was named Kelsey. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.