How old is someone named Kelly?
The average Kelly is 48 years old.
Half of all living Kellys are between 40 and 58.
When was Kelly popular?
Kelly peaked in 1968 and has been given less and less ever since. Only 403 babies got the name in 2025.
Popular names of 1968 · The most popular names of the 1960s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 223 | 0 |
| 1910s | 956 | 0 |
| 1920s | 1,394 | under 100 |
| 1930s | 1,421 | 200 |
| 1940s | 3,423 | 1,600 |
| 1950s | 28,492 | 22,000 |
| 1960s | 156,059 | 140,000 |
| 1970s | 150,866 | 140,000 |
| 1980s | 119,313 | 110,000 |
| 1990s | 59,862 | 59,000 |
| 2000s | 23,158 | 23,000 |
| 2010s | 8,274 | 8,200 |
| 2020s | 2,663 | 2,600 |
How many Kellys are still alive?
About 510,000 Kellys are alive in the US today. That's 91% of the roughly 560,000 babies named Kelly since 1880.
Nearly every Kelly ever born is still alive, because almost all of them are young.
What generation is the name Kelly?
About half of living Kellys are Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1980.
- Boomer 16%
- Gen X 46%
- Millennial 29%
- Gen Z 7%
- Gen Alpha 2%
Is Kelly an old name?
Yes. Kelly is older than 76 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Kelly will be 71 in 2056, so the name is getting older.
Is Kelly a boy or girl name?
Mostly a girl's name: 87% of living Kellys are women, and 13% are men.
The women average 47 and the men 54.
Names the same age as Kelly
NAME TWIN
Kelly's name twin is Jeana. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Jeana's age curve is the closest match to Kelly's: 90% alike.
Other spellings: Kelli (47) · Kellie (47) · Kelley (50)
Compare: Kelli vs. Kelly · Kellie vs. Kelly
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Questions about the name Kelly
How old is the average Kelly?
The average Kelly in the US is 48 years old. The median is 49, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Kelly?
About 510,000 Kellys are alive in the US today, out of roughly 560,000 babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Kelly most popular?
In 1968, when about 20,000 baby girls were named Kelly.
Is Kelly a Gen X name?
Partly. Gen X are the largest group, about 46% of living Kellys, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this