Name Kelly Origin, meaning, pronunciation & popularity of the name Kelly

Kelly is a ♀ girl’s name and ♂ boy’s name. Kelly thus belongs to the gender-neutral unisex names.

Origin of the name Kelly

The name Kelly is of Irish-Gaelic origin and derived from the Irish surname Ó Ceallaigh or the Irish given name Ceallach. It first became a boy’s name and is also a girl’s name today.

What is the meaning of the name Kelly?

Kelly means “descendant of Ceallach” and “warrior” or “female warrior” (from Old Irish “ceallach” = war/battle/strife). Besides, the name Ceallach is said to mean “bright-headed”. Kelly could as well be derived from Irish “ceall” meaning “church” or “monastery”, thus Kelly means “frequenter of churches”.

Pronunciation of Kelly

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