How Many People Are Named Kelsey?
An estimated 149,800 people in the United States have the first name Kelsey. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #356 overall. It is predominantly female (96.6%). The average bearer is 31 years old, and Kelsey peaked in popularity in 1992 with 11,882 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Kelsey as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Kelsey paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- Kelsey has undergone a significant gender shift. Originally given predominantly to boys, it is now more commonly a girls' name.
- While Kelsey is overwhelmingly female, 5,308 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- Kelsey has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1990s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
149,800
About 1 in 2,288 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Female
96.6% confidence
Average Age
31
years old
Peak Year
1992
11,882 births
Total Registered
155,383
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Kelsey
Kelsey is predominantly female (96.6%), though 5,308 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Kelsey as a male name
Ranked #10,380 in 2024
7 male births in 2024
Peak: 1989 (250 births)
Kelsey as a female name
Ranked #671 in 2024
430 female births in 2024
Peak: 1992 (11,713 births)
Kelsey: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Kelsey span from the 1890s to the 2020s, covering 13 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1990s, when 86,595 babies were registered. Kelsey has declined significantly from its peak in the 1990s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Kelsey by Decade
How has Kelsey tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Kelsey by State
Birth registrations for Kelsey span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, Ohio. The lowest are in District of Columbia, Wyoming, Vermont. On average, about 2,949 Kelseys were registered per state.
Kelsey + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Kelsey as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Kelsey
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
Kelsey: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kelsey?
We estimate approximately 149,800 people named Kelsey are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,288 Americans share this first name.
Is Kelsey a common name?
Kelsey is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 155,383 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Kelsey most popular?
Kelsey reached peak popularity in 1992, when 11,882 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Kelsey is approximately 31 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Kelsey a female name?
Kelsey is predominantly female. 96.6% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Kelsey Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Kelsey Smith, Kelsey Johnson, Kelsey Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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