Kelly is a unisex given name derived from an

Anglicized Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

version of the Irish masculine name Ceallach or a transferred use of the Irish surname O'Ceallaigh. O'Ceallaigh, which means "descendant of Ceallach", was Anglicized as

Kelly Kelly may refer to: Art and entertainment * ''Kelly'' (Kelly Price album), 2011 * ''Kelly'' (Andrea Faustini album) * ''Kelly'' (musical), by Mark Charlap, 1965 * "Kelly" (song), by Kelly Rowland, 2018 * ''Kelly'' (film), Canada, 1981 * ...

or O'Kelly; the meaning of the personal name Ceallach is uncertain. It could mean "bright-headed," or "strife" or "monastery church" in Irish. As a name of Irish origin, the Kelly surname is partially an

anglicised Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

version of older

Irish names A formal Irish name consists of a given name and a surname. In the Irish language, most surnames are patronymic surnames (distinct from patronymic, patronyms, which are seen in Icelandic names for example). The form of a surname varies according ...

, especially

Ó Ceallaigh O'Kelly ( ) is an Irish surname and the name of a number of distinct sept families in Ireland. The most prominent of these is the O'Kelly sept who were the chiefly family of the Uí Maine in Connacht. Another sept is that of the kingdom of Breg ...

, though the name Kelly is also present to a lesser extent in other Celtic cultures. Kelly is historically a male-only name, but has been used as a female given name since the 1960s, though with a significant minority usage as a masculine name, especially within

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

families.

Etymology

The surname

has multiple origins. There is a

Clan Kelly Clan Kelly is a Scottish clan. The clan does not have a chief recognised by the Lord Lyon King of Arms, therefore the clan has no standing under Scots Law. Clan Kelly is considered an armigerous clan, meaning that it is considered to have had a ...

in Scotland, possibly derived from a toponym

Kelloe Kelloe is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England. The population of the civil parish as taken at the 2011 Census was 1,502. It is situated to the south-east of Durham. History The village takes its name from the family of Kelloe ...

. The Irish surname may be from either ''

'' or ''

Ó Cadhla ''Ó Cadhla'' is a masculine surname in the Irish language. The name translates into English language, English as "descendant of ''Cadhla''". The surname originated as a patronym, however it no longer refers to the actual name of the bearer's fat ...

'', or yet again from a toponym. The surname was established in the United States by the early 19th century, and it began to be used as a masculine name in the later 19th century. Feminine usage first appeared in the 1940s and surpassed masculine usage around 1957 due to the popularity of the American actress

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982), also known as Grace of Monaco, was an American actress and Princess of Monaco as the wife of Prince Rainier III from their marriage on April 18, 1956, until her death in 1982. ...

Popularity

According to the U.S.

Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...

, Kelly, as a name for a girl, was ranked 900 in 1950, then steadily gained popularity until 1977 (peaking at rank No.10); Kelly, as a name for a boy, was consistently in the top 800 (but never the top 300) from 1881 to 1939, then steadily gained popularity until 1968 (peaking at rank No.97). The feminine name reached two significant peaks, rank No.12 in 1968, then declining to rank No.23 in 1972, and again rising to rank No.10 in 1977; both the feminine and the masculine name have been in steady decline since reaching their respective popularity peaks; the masculine name fell below rank No.1000 in 2003; the feminine name lingers at rank No.367 as of 2013. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, it made its way into the top 50 during the 1970s and by 1984 was the 15th most popular feminine first name. However, 10 years later it had declined to 53rd place and by 1999 had fallen out of the top 100.

People with the name

Feminine name

Kelly Ayotte Kelly Ann Ayotte ( ; born June 27, 1968) is an American attorney and politician serving since 2025 as the 83rd governor of New Hampshire. A member of the Republican Party, she served from 2011 to 2017 as a United States senator from New Hampsh ...

(born 1968), American politician *

Kelly J. Baker Kelly Jeanette Baker (born August 1980) is an American writer. Early life and education Baker was born in August 1980 in Marianna, Florida. She earned an Associate of Arts from Chipola College. Baker completed a Bachelor of Arts in American ...

(born 1980), American writer and editor *

Kelly Brook Kelly Brook (born Kelly Anne Parsons, 23 November 1979) is an English model, actress, and media personality. She began her career modelling for a range of advertising campaigns, which led to her discovery by the editorial team of the '' Daily ...

(born 1979), English model and actress * Kelly M. Burke, American politician *

Kelly Chen Kelly Chen Wai-lam (born Vivian Chen Wai-man on 13 September 1972) is a Hong Kong singer and actress. She has been referred to as a " Diva of Asia" (). Chen has great success in the East Asian entertainment industry with nearly 20 million rec ...

(born 1972), Chinese singer and actress * Kelly Cheung (born 1990), American actress and television host *

Kelly Carlson Kelly Lee Carlson (born February 17, 1976) is a former American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Kimber Henry in the FX drama series ''Nip/Tuck''. Career Carlson was raised in Bloomington, Minnesota, and attended the Acad ...

(born 1976), American actress *

Kelly Clark Kelly Clark (born July 26, 1983) is an American snowboarder who won halfpipe gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Clark was born in Newport, Rhode Island. She started snowboarding when she was 7 years old, began competing in 1999, and became a me ...

(born 1983), American snowboarder *

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne (born Kelly Brianne Clarkson, April 24, 1982), known professionally as Kelly Clarkson, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Rising to fame after winning the American Idol season 1, first season of ''Ameri ...

(born 1982), American singer *

Kelly Craft Kelly Dawn Craft (; born February 24, 1962) is an American businesswoman, politician, and former diplomat who served as the 30th List of ambassadors of the United States to the United Nations, United States Ambassador to the United Nations from ...

(born 1962), American diplomat * Kelly Evans (born 1985), American journalist *

Kelly J. Ford Kelly J. Ford is an American writer. She is the author of ''Cottonmouths'', ''Real Bad Things'', and ''The Hunt''. Career Ford's debut novel, ''Cottonmouths'' was published in 2017 and was named a best book of 2017 by the ''Los Angeles Review' ...

, American novelist * Kelly Fraga (born 1974), Brazilian volleyball player * Kelly Fraser (1993–2019), Canadian singer and songwriter *

Kelly Fyffe-Marshall Kelly Fyffe-Marshall is a Canadian filmmaker best known for her 2020 two-part short film ''Black Bodies'', which won the Changemaker Award at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, and won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Live Action Sh ...

, Canadian filmmaker *

Kelly Gale Kelly Olivia Gale (born 14 May 1995) is a Swedish model. She is known globally for her work for Victoria's Secret, the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'', and ''Playboy'', as well as being featured in the music video of " Duele el Corazón" b ...

(born 1995), Swedish model * Kelly Sims Gallagher, American international affairs scholar * Kelly Gee, American public official * Kelly Haxton (born 1982), Canadian soccer player *

Kelly Higashi Kelly Higashi (born February 1, 1962) is an associate judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. In February 2018, Higashi was nominated by President Donald Trump to a 15-year term as an associate judge on the Superior Court. She wa ...

, American judge and lawyer *

Kelly Holmes Dame Kelly Holmes (born 19 April 1970) is a retired British Middle-distance running, middle distance Track and field, athlete and television personality. Holmes specialised in the 800 metres, 800 and 1500 metres events and won gold medals for ...

(born 1970), British athlete *

Kelly Hoppen Kelly Elaine Hoppen (born 28 July 1959) is a South African-born British interior designer, author, and proprietor of Kelly Hoppen Interiors. From 2013 to 2015, she was a "Dragon" on BBC Two's '' Dragons' Den''. Family Kelly Hoppen was born ...

(born 1959), South African-British interior designer *

Kelly Hu Kelly Ann Hu (born February 13, 1968) is an American actress. She starred as Dr. Rae Chang on the American television soap opera '' Sunset Beach'' and as Michelle Chan on the American television police drama series '' Nash Bridges''. She has st ...

(born 1968), American actress * Kelly Johnson (1958–2007), English guitarist (

Girlschool Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 ...

) * Kelly Keen (1978–1981), animal attack victim *

Kelly Kelekidou Kelly Kelekidou (, born 9 April 1979), sometimes referred to as Kel Kel, is a Greece, Greek singer. To date, she has released four studio albums and one CD Single which was certified Gold. Career Kelly Kelekidou originates from Kokkinohoma Kavala ...

(born 1979), Greek singer *

Kelly Kelly Barbara Jean Blank Coba (née Blank; January 15, 1987), known professionally as Barbie Blank and by her ring name Kelly Kelly, is an American model and former professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under a legends contract. Blank has a ...

(born 1987), Ring name of American professional wrestler, model, and former WWE Diva Barbara Blank * Kelly Key (born 1983), Brazilian singer *

Kelly Kulick Kelly Kulick (born March 16, 1977) is an American professional bowler, bowling coach and sportscaster. She has won ten professional women's bowling titles (six of them majors), one PBA Tour title (a major) and a professional mixed doubles tit ...

(born 1977), American bowler *

Kelly LeBrock Kelly LeBrock (born March 24, 1960) is an American actress and model. Her acting debut was in '' The Woman in Red'' (1984), alongside Gene Wilder. She also starred in the John Hughes film '' Weird Science'' (1985), and in '' Hard to Kill'' (199 ...

(born 1960), English-American actress and model *

Kelly Llorenna Kelly Llorenna (born 1 May 1975) is an English dance music singer, who was born in Slough, Berkshire and raised in Oldham, Greater Manchester. She is best known as the former lead vocalist for the dance group N-Trance in the 1990s. Their bigges ...

(born 1975), English singer *

Kelly Loeffler Kelly Lynn Loeffler ( ; born November 27, 1970) is an American businesswoman and politician who has served as the 28th administrator of the Small Business Administration since February 20, 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she served as a ...

(born 1970), American businesswoman and politician *

Kelly Lynch Kelly Ann Lynch (born January 31, 1959) is an American film and television actress. She had her breakthrough role in the 1988 film ''Cocktail,'' before playing a romantic lead opposite Patrick Swayze in the cult film '' Road House'' (1989). She w ...

, (born 1959), American actress *

Kelly Macdonald Kelly Macdonald (born 23 February 1976) is a Scottish actress. Known for her performances on film and television, she has received various accolades including a BAFTA Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Macdona ...

(born 1976), Scottish actress *

Kelly Marie Kelly Marie (born Jacqueline McKinnon; 16 October 1957) is a Scottish singer, best known for the song " Feels Like I'm in Love", a No. 1 hit in the UK in 1980. Early career Born to Alex and Jeanette McKinnon, Kelly Marie began training for a ...

(born 1957), Scottish singer *

Kelly McCormick Kelly Anne McCormick (born February 13, 1960, in Anaheim, California) is a retired Hall of Fame female diver from the United States. She dove for Ohio State University and twice competed for her native country at the Summer Olympics, winning a s ...

(born 1960), American diver *

Kelly McGillis Kelly Ann McGillis (born July 9, 1957) is an American actress. She is known for her film roles such as Rachel Lapp in ''Witness'' (1985), for which she received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations; Charlie in ''Top Gun'' (1986); ''Made in Heaven' ...

(born 1957), American actress * Kelly McGonigal (born 1977), American psychologist *

Kelly Merrick Kelly Merrick (née Richards; born 1975) is an American politician from Alaska. A Republican, Merrick was elected to the Alaska State Senate in 2022, representing District L in Eagle River. She was a member of the Alaska House of Representa ...

(born 1975), American politician * Kelly Metcalfe, Canadian scientist and a professor *

Kelly Mitchell Kelly Mitchell (born 1966/1967) is an American politician and businesswoman who served as the 54th Indiana State Treasurer. She was elected treasurer on November 4, 2014, and assumed office early on November 18, 2014. She replaced interim Treasur ...

, American politician *

Kelly Morrison Kelly Louise Morrison (born February 2, 1969) is an American physician and politician who is the U.S. representative for Minnesota's 3rd congressional district. Morrison was a member of the Minnesota Senate from 2023 to 2024. A member of the Min ...

(born 1969), American politician and physician * Kelly Murphy (born 1977), American illustrator * Kelly Noonan Murphy (born 1974 or 1975), American politician * Kelly Murphy (born 1989), American volleyball player * Kelly Overton, American actress *

Kelly Osbourne Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne (born on October 27 1984) is an English television personality, singer, actress, and fashion designer. She is a daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, and came to prominence while appearing on the reali ...

(born 1984), English actress and designer * Kelly Pace, multiple people *

Kelly Poon Kelly Poon (born 11 July 1983) is a Singaporean singer, songwriter and actress who was the runner-up on the first season of the ''Project SuperStar'' singing competition held in Singapore. Early life Poon attended Huamin Primary School and ...

(born 1983), Chinese singer * Kelly Piquet (born 1988), Brazilian model, columnist, blogger and public relations professional *

Kelly Preston Kelly Kamalelehua Smith (October 13, 1962 – July 12, 2020), known professionally as Kelly Preston, was an American actress. She appeared in more than 60 television and film productions, including '' Mischief'' (1985), ''Twins'' (1988), ' ...

(1962–2020), American actress *

Kelly Price Kelly Cherelle Price (born April 4, 1973) is an American R&B and gospel singer. Beginning her career in 1992, Price originally performed backing vocals for Mariah Carey on multiple songs, including Carey's ''Billboard'' Hot 100-number one sin ...

(born 1973), American singer * Kelly M. Miller, American academic *

Kelly Ripa Kelly Maria Ripa (; born October 2, 1970) is an American actress and talk show host. Since 2001, she has been the co-host of the syndicated morning talk show '' Live! with Kelly and Mark'' in various formats. Her co-hosts have included Regis ...

(born 1970), American actress and talk show host * Kelly Rondestvedt (born 1975), American investment banker and German princess * Kelly Rosen (born 1995), Estonian footballer *

Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling gir ...

(born 1981), American singer (

Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...

) *

Kelly Rutherford Kelly Rutherford (born November 6, 1968) is an American actress. She is known for her television roles as Stephanie "Sam" Whitmore on the NBC daytime soap opera '' Generations'' (1989–1991), as Megan Lewis on the Fox primetime soap opera '' ...

(born 1968), American actress *

Kelly Sheridan Kelly Sheridan (born May 19, 1977) is a Canadian voice actress best known for being the voice for Barbie in the ''Barbie'' film series from 2001 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2015. She had also voiced in numerous animations and English-language dubs ...

(born 1977), Canadian voice actress * Kelly Sildaru (born 2002), Estonian freestyle skier *

Kelly Smith Kelly Jayne Smith (born 29 October 1978) is an English former football forward who spent three spells with FA WSL club Arsenal. After moving to the United States, Smith broke records with Seton Hall University then played professionally with ...

(born 1978), English footballer *

Kelly Somers Kelly Elizabeth Somers (born 21 December 1990) is a British sports presenter and reporter, and a regular contributor to football coverage on radio and television in the UK. Among her presenting credits are appearances on the BBC, Talksport, Pr ...

(born 1986), English sports reporter and presenter *

Kelly Sotherton Kelly Jade Sotherton (born 13 November 1976) is a British former heptathlete, long jumper and relay runner. In the heptathlon she was the bronze medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics and, following the disqualification of two other athletes, ...

(born 1976), British heptathlete *

Kelly Stables Kelly Michelle Stables (born January 26, 1978) is an American actress. She is known for her television roles, such as Melissa on ''Two and a Half Men'' (2008–2010), Eden Konkler on '' The Exes'' (2011–2015), and Kelly Watson on '' Superstore' ...

(born 1978), American actress * Kelly Stefanyshyn (born 1982), Canadian swimmer * Kelly Stephens-Tysland (born 1983), American ice hockey player * Kelly Ten Hagen, American glycobiologist * Kelly Thornton (born 1997), Irish actress * Kelly Thornton (born 1965), Canadian theatre director and dramaturge *

Kelly Timilty Kelly Ann Timilty (October 14, 1962 – January 31, 2012) was an American politician. Biography Timilty was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She went to St. Gregory's Grammar School in Dorchester, Massachusetts and to the Newton Country Day S ...

(1962–2012), American politician * Kelly Ann Tinyes (1975–1989), American murder victim * Kelly Wilson (disambiguation), multiple people *

Kelly Wearstler Kelly Wearstler (; born November 21, 1967) is an American designer. She founded her own design firm Kelly Wearstler Interior Design (or KWID) in the mid-1990s, serving mainly the hotel industry, and now designs across high-end residential, comme ...

(born 1967), American designer *

Kelly Yu Kelly Yu Wenwen (; born 7 November 1989) is a Chinese-Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, music producer and director. She is famous for starring in the romantic film '' The Ex-File 3: The Return of the Exes'' and for singing and composing t ...

(born 1989), Canadian-Chinese singer

Masculine name

Kelly Alexander Kelly Miller Alexander Jr. (October 17, 1948 – September 6, 2024) was an American politician who was a Democratic member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, representing the 107th district from 2009 until his death in 2024. During t ...

(born 1948), American politician *

Kelly Armstrong Kelly Michael Armstrong (born October 8, 1976) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 34th governor of North Dakota since 2024. A member of the Republican Party, he served from 2019 to 2024 as the U.S. representative for North Da ...

(born 1972), American politician *

Kelly Asbury Kelly Adam Asbury (January 15, 1960 – June 26, 2020) was an American film director, writer, voice actor, and illustrator. He was best known for directing the animated films '' Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'' (2002), ''Shrek 2'' (2004), '' G ...

(1960–2020), American animated film director and screenwriter * Kelly Bailey, composer and sound designer at

Valve A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or Slurry, slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically Pip ...

for the

Half-Life Half-life is a mathematical and scientific description of exponential or gradual decay. Half-life, half life or halflife may also refer to: Film * Half-Life (film), ''Half-Life'' (film), a 2008 independent film by Jennifer Phang * ''Half Life: ...

video game series * Kelly Bennett (born 1971), Zimbabwean cricketer *

Kelly Brown Kelly Brown (born 8 June 1982) is a Scottish rugby union coach and former player. He won 64 caps for the Scotland national team, and played club rugby for Glasgow Warriors, Border Reivers and Saracens as a flanker. He retired from playing in ...

(born 1982), Scottish rugby player * Kelly Bryant (born 1996), American football player *

Kelly Blatz Kelly Steven Blatz (born June 16, 1987) is an American actor, director, writer, producer, editor and musician. He is best known for playing the lead role in '' Aaron Stone''. Career Blatz made his acting debut in ''Simon Says'' (2006), then ...

(born 1987), American actor and singer * Kelly Clark (lawyer) (1957–2013), American lawyer and politician * Kelly Chase (born 1967), Canadian ice hockey player and broadcaster * Kelly Coleman (1938–2019), American basketball player * Kelly C. Crabb (1946–2019), American lawyer *

Kelly DeVries Kelly Robert DeVries (born December 23, 1956) is an American medievalist and military historian specializing in the warfare of the Middle Ages. He is often featured as an expert commentator on television documentaries. He is professor of history ...

(born 1956), American historian * Kelly Flynn (1954–2021), American politician * Kelly Allen Frank, American fugitive * Kelly Gage (1925–2017), American lawyer and politician * Kelly Girtz, American politician *

Kelly Graves Kelly Lee Graves (born January 14, 1963) is the current head women's basketball coach at the University of Oregon. Previously, Graves was the head women's basketball coach at Saint Mary's Gaels women's basketball, St. Mary's from 1997 to 2000, as ...

(born 1963), American basketball coach *

Kelly Gruber Kelly Wayne Gruber (born February 26, 1962) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman. He played for the Toronto Blue Jays and California Angels from 1984 to 1993. He was a two-time MLB All-Star and won a Gold Glove Award an ...

(born 1963), American baseball player *

Kelly Holcomb Bryan Kelly Holcomb (born July 9, 1973) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Holcomb was signed by the ...

(born 1973), American football player *

Kelly Hrudey Kelly Hrudey (; born January 13, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who is a broadcaster with Sportsnet as a studio analyst for ''Hockey Night in Canada'' and colour commentator for Calgary Flames regional broadcasts. D ...

(born 1961), Canadian ice hockey player and broadcaster * Kelly Johnson (1910–1990), American aeronautical engineer * Kelly Johnson (born 1982), American baseball player * Kelly D. Johnston (born 1956), American government official *

Kelly Jones Kelly Jones (born 3 June 1974) is a Welsh musician and a founding member, lead singer, and guitarist of the rock band Stereophonics. Early life and debut Kelly Jones was born the youngest of three boys to Beryl and Arwyn Jones in the small We ...

(born 1964), American tennis player *

(born 1974), Welsh musician *

Kelly Keagy Kelly Dean Keagy (born September 15, 1952) is an American drummer and vocalist, best known for his work with the hard rock band Night Ranger. Keagy sang lead vocals on several of their hits, such as "Sister Christian", "Sing Me Away", and " Se ...

(born 1952) vocalist and drummer for American band

Night Ranger Night Ranger is an American hard rock band from San Francisco, California. The band formed in 1982 and experienced a surge of popularity during the 1980s with the release of several successful albums and hit singles. Guitarist Brad Gillis and ...

* Kelly Kirchbaum (born 1957), American football player * Kelly Kite (born 1947), American politician *

Kelly Makin Kelly Makin is a Canadian television and film director. He directed episodes of '' The Kids in the Hall'' comedy television series and also directed several episodes of '' Queer as Folk'' including the series finale. More recently, Makin has dir ...

(fl. 2000s), Canadian television and movie director *

Kelly Mantle Kelly Leroy Mantle (born July 9, 1976) is an American actor, singer-songwriter, comedian, musician, drag queen, and reality television personality. Mantle appeared as a contestant on the sixth season of the reality TV show ''RuPaul's Drag Race' ...

(born 1976), American actor, singer/songwriter, comedian, musician, drag queen and reality television personality * Kelly McCarty (born 1975), American–Russian basketball player *

Kelly Monteith Kelly Norton Monteith (October 17, 1942 – January 1, 2023) was an American comedian, actor, writer and producer. He was best known for writing and starring in the BBC comedy show ''Kelly Monteith''. Early life Kelly Norton Monteith was bor ...

(1942–2023), American comedian *

Kelly Olynyk Kelly Tyler Olynyk ( ; born April 19, 1991) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, where he earned NCAA All- ...

(born 1991), Canadian basketball player * Kelly Oubre (born 1995), American basketball player * Kelly Paris (1957–2019), American baseball player *

Kelly Pavlik Kelly Robert Pavlik (born April 5, 1982) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2000 to 2012. He won the unified WBC, WBO, ''Ring'' magazine and lineal middleweight titles by defeating Jermain Taylor in 2007, and made thr ...

(born 1982), American boxer *

Kelly Perdew Kelly Crawford Perdew (born January 29, 1967) is an American businessman and winner of '' The Apprentice 2''. Personal Life Perdew was born in Lexington, Kentucky and was raised in Florida and Wyoming. Prior to winning ''The Apprentice'', he ...

(born 1967), American businessman, winner of ''The Apprentice 2'' *

Kelly Perine Kelly Perine (born March 23, 1969) is an American television actor, writer, director, producer, and comedian. Early life and education Perine attended Lake Forest Academy, near Chicago, Illinois, where he studied stage acting. He spent his unde ...

(born 1969), American actor *

Kelly Joe Phelps Kelly Joe Phelps (October 5, 1959 – May 31, 2022) was an American musician and songwriter. His music has been characterized as a mixture of delta blues and jazz.Ann Powers, ''The New York Times'', February 9, 2000. Career Kelly Joe Phelps grew ...

(1959–2022), American musician and songwriter * Kelly Reno (born 1966), American actor *

Kelly Slater Robert Kelly Slater (born February 11, 1972) is an American professional surfer who has been crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. He is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time, and holds 56 Championship T ...

(born 1972), American surfer *

Kelly Stinnett Kelly Lee Stinnett (born February 14, 1970) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played all or parts of 14 seasons in the majors, from until . Early life Stinnett attended Lawton High School in Lawton, Oklahoma and was a let ...

(born 1970), American baseball player * Kelly Tang (born 1961), Singaporean composer *

Kelly Tripucka Peter Kelly Tripucka (born February 16, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 to 1991. He was a two-time NBA All Star and averaged over twenty points a game i ...

(born 1959), American basketball player * Kelly Wolf (born 1961), American politician *

Kelly Williams Kelly Williams (born February 7, 1982) is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the TNT Tropang 5G in the PBA. He played collegiate basketball at Oakland University, an NCAA Division I school in the United States, and he als ...

(born 1982), American-Filipino basketball player

Fictional characters

*Kelly, a character in the 2020 American science fiction comedy movie ''

Bill & Ted Face the Music ''Bill & Ted Face the Music'' is a 2020 American science fiction comedy film directed by Dean Parisot and written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon. It is the third film in the ''Bill & Ted'' film series, and the sequel to ''Bill & Ted's Bogus J ...

'' *Kelly, a character in the American sitcom ''

Gung Ho ''Gung ho'' () is an English term, with the current meaning of 'enthusiastic or energetic', especially overly so. It originated during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) from a Chinese term, ( zh, hp=gōnghé, l=to work together), sho ...

'' *

Kelly Ashoona '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Yan Moore. ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' is the fourth entry of the ''Degrassi'' television franchise created by Schuyler and Kit Ho ...

, character in ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' *Kelly, a female antagonist on the

Teletoon Cartoon Network (formerly Teletoon) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers. It was launched on October 17 ...

Canadian animated sitcom '' Stoked'' *Kelly, "Valley girl" drag persona created by

Liam Kyle Sullivan Liam Kyle Sullivan (born July 17, 1973) is an American comedian, musician, actor, and director. He is best known for his YouTube comedy videos, particularly as a female character named Kelly, and was one of YouTube's first breakout stars. Car ...

first for the video "Shoes" *Kelly, signature of

The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is currently based in Chicago, but originated as a weekly print publication ...

's editorial cartoonist

Ward Sutton Ward Sutton is an American illustrator, cartoonist and writer. His comic strip, ''Sutton Impact'' (formerly ''Schlock 'n' Roll''), was published in ''The Village Voice'' from 1995 to 2007. In 2018, Sutton won the Herblock Prize for his work. S ...

*Kelly, a male poker friend of Bernie on ''

The Bernie Mac Show ''The Bernie Mac Show'' (often shortened to ''Bernie Mac'' in syndication) is an American sitcom television series created by Larry Wilmore, that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001, to April 14, 2006. The series featured Ber ...

'' *Kelly, a character from ''

The Ridonculous Race ''Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race'' (also known as ''Total Drama: The Ridonculous Race'' or simply ''The Ridonculous Race'') is a Canadian animated reality television series which lampoons the conventions commonly found in reality tele ...

'' * Kelly Bailey, played by

Lauren Socha Lauren Marie Socha (born 9 June 1990) is an English actress. She rose to prominence during her role as Kelly Bailey in the E4 comedy-drama television series '' Misfits'', for which she won a BAFTA TV Award in the Best Supporting Actress cate ...

on the TV series ''

Misfits MiSFiTS was the acronym for the ''Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy''. This organization has now changed its name to GPS, an acronym for Geek Partnership Society. It was founded in 1999 and was the parent non-profit org ...

'' *Dr. Kelly Brackett, played by Robert Fuller on the TV series ''

Emergency! ''Emergency!'' is an American Action fiction, action-adventure medical drama television series jointly produced by Mark VII Limited and Universal Television. Debuting on NBC as a midseason replacement on January 15, 1972, replacing two situatio ...

'' *Kelly Bundy, played by

Christina Applegate Christina Applegate (born November 25, 1971) is an American actress. With a career spanning five decades, her accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, along with nominations for four Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. After appearing in se ...

on the TV series '' Married... with Children'' *Kelly Collins, DCOM in

Cadet Kelly ''Cadet Kelly'' is a 2002 American military comedy film released as a Disney Channel Original Movie and starring Hilary Duff and Christy Carlson Romano. The film premiered with 7.8 million viewers. It is Duff's second starring film role, her f ...

* Kelly Cramer, on the soap opera ''One Life to Live'' *Kelly Crenshaw, a pivotal character and the owner of the hardware store in the animated series ''

Handy Manny ''Handy Manny'' is an animated preschool children's television series that premiered on September 16, 2006, originally as part of Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney block, and aired until February 14, 2013. Created by Roger Bollen and Marilyn ...

'' *

Kelly Gaines This is a list of characters from the American television sitcom, ''Cheers''. Original main characters Before the ''Cheers'' pilot, "Give Me a Ring Sometime", was finalized and then aired in 1982, the series originally consisted of four emplo ...

, played by Jackie Swanson on the U.S. TV series ''Cheers'' * Kelly Garrett (Charlie's Angels), played by Jaclyn Smith on the U.S. TV series ''Charlie's Angels'' *Kelly Generic, protagonists’ older sister on ''

Bobby's World ''Bobby's World'' (originally known as ''The World According to Bobby'') is an American animated comedy children's television series that aired on Fox Kids from September 8, 1990, to February 23, 1998. The show was created by Canadian actor/come ...

'' *

Kelly Kapoor Kelly Rajanigandha Kapoor is a fictional character from the American television series ''The Office'', portrayed by Mindy Kaling. She is the customer service representative at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin from seasons 1 to 8. Following ...

, played by Mindy Kaling on the U.S. version of ''The Office'' *Kelly Leak, baseball-playing thug in the 1976 film ''

The Bad News Bears ''The Bad News Bears'' is a 1976 American sports comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and written by Bill Lancaster. It stars Walter Matthau as an alcoholic ex-baseball pitcher who becomes a coach for a youth baseball team known as the Bear ...

'' *Kelly Kapowski, played by Tiffani-Amber Thiessen on the U.S. TV series ''

Saved by the Bell ''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television teen sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in prime time, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United ...

'' *Kelly Prescott, "mean girl" in

Meg Cabot Meggin Patricia Cabot (born February 1, 1967) is an American novelist. She has written and published over 50 novels of young adult and adult fiction and is best known for her young adult series ''The Princess Diaries'', which was later adapted b ...

's ''

The Mediator ''The Mediator'' is a book series which contains six novels written by Meg Cabot. The first four novels were originally published under Cabot's pseudonym Jenny Carroll by Simon & Schuster. The last two books were published by HarperCollins a ...

'' * Kelly Erin Hannon, played by Ellie Kemper on the U.S. version of ''The Office'' * Kelly Taylor, played by Jennie Garth on the U.S. TV series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' * Kelly Taylor, played by Brooke Kinsella on the British soap opera ''EastEnders'' *Kelly Wainwright, played by Tanya Chisholm on the Nickelodeon TV series ''

Big Time Rush ''Big Time Rush'' is an American musical sitcom television series created by Scott Fellows that originally aired on Nickelodeon from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013, featuring the band Big Time Rush portrayed as a fictional version of th ...

'' * Kelly Roberts, Barbie's younger sister *Kelly Severide, played by Taylor Kinney on NBC's '' Chicago Fire'' *Kelly Sutekh, a minor character in the

Lorien Legacies ''Lorien Legacies'' is a series of young adult fiction, young adult science fiction books, written by James Frey, Jobie Hughes, and formerly, Greg Boose, under the collective pseudonym Pittacus Lore. The title of the series is taken from Lorie ...

series, is Adamus Sutekh's sister. *Kelly Burkhardt, played by

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (born November 17, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut in the 1980 revival of ''West Side Story'', and went on to appear in the 1983 film '' Scarface'' as Al Pacino's character's si ...

on NBC's

Grimm (TV series) ''Grimm'' is an American fantasy police procedural Drama (film and television), drama Horror film, horror television series created by Stephen Carpenter (writer), Stephen Carpenter, Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, and produced by Universal Televi ...

* Kelly the Crane, a male character in

Thomas and Friends ''Thomas & Friends'' is a British children's television series which aired from 9 October 1984 to 20 January 2021. Based on ''The Railway Series'' books by Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher, the series was developed for television by Brit ...

*Kelly-087, a female character in the Halo video game franchise *Kelly, a popular mean girl in the 2019 film '' K - 12'' by

Melanie Martinez Melanie Adele Martinez (born April 28, 1995) is an American Puerto Rican-Dominican singer and songwriter. Born in Astoria, Queens, and raised in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York, Baldwin, New York, Martinez rose to fame in 2012 after appearing ...

. She is portrayed by Maggie Budzyna *Kelly, a character from the video game series ''

Pop'n Music , commonly abbreviated as ''Pop'n'', ''PM'' or ''PNM'' and stylized as ''pop'n music'', is a music video game series in the Bemani series made by Konami. The games are known for their bright colors, upbeat songs, and cute cartoon character graphic ...

'' *Kelly, a character in The Sunny Side Up Show and The Chica Show; Sprout productions *Private Kelly, the main character in ''

Kelly's Heroes ''Kelly's Heroes'' is a 1970 war comedy drama film directed by Brian G. Hutton. Set during World War II, the film tells the story of a motley crew of American GIs who go AWOL to rob a French bank, located behind German lines, of its stored Na ...

'' *Kelly Stone, The father in the movie

The Family Stone ''The Family Stone'' is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Thomas Bezucha. Produced by Michael London and distributed by 20th Century Fox, it stars an ensemble cast, including Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Dermot Mulron ...

. Played by Craig T. Nelson

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* {{given name English feminine given names Feminine given names English masculine given names Masculine given names English-language unisex given names Irish unisex given names Scottish unisex given names English unisex given names

Etymology

Popularity

People with the name

Feminine name

Masculine name

Fictional characters

See also

References

Bibliography