Table of contents
Girl name origins & meanings
- Scandinavian: Clear mountain spring
- Irish: Church; warrior; wood; holly; farm by the spring
Discover more baby name meanings to learn what's behind every name.
Boy name origins & meanings
- German: Swamp
- Irish: Powerful
- Irish: Warrior
Boy name variations
How Popular Is The Name Kelly
Family name origins & meanings
- Irish: Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Ceallaigh ‘descendant of Ceallach’, an ancient Irish personal name, originally a byname meaning ‘bright-headed’, later understood as ‘frequenting churches’ (Irish ceall). There are several early Irish saints who bore this name. Kelly is now the most common of all Irish family names in Ireland.