Kelsey: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced KEL-see · 2 syllables

Kelsey means “ship; victory”, from English.

From Old English ceol (“ship”) + sige (“victory”).

How popular is Kelsey?

Kelsey was the #814 name in the US in 2025, given to 349 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 60% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1990.

Babies named Kelsey in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1990).

Half of US adults named Kelsey are older than 33; most are between 21 and 42. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Kelsey means “ship; victory”. It comes from English.

Kelsey is pronounced KEL-see.

Kelsey was the #814 name in the US in 2025, given to 349 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 60% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1990.

Half of US adults named Kelsey are older than 33. Most are between 21 and 42.