Keli is a girl name with a rare feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Keli means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Keli across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Keli has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Keli is a girl name of Irish (Gaelic) origin meaning “variant of Kelly, war or bright-headed”. A respelling of Kelly, from an Irish surname.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,405 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 7 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 13 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Keli per year, United States (1955 to 2025). United States peaked in 1979 (190/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (8/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2003 (4/yr).
Keli is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1979, when it ranked #1,417 nationally (given to 190 babies that year).
Kyle · Kelly · Kylie · Kelli · Kellie · Kelley · Kyla · Cali
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