Can Kelly be a boy name?
Elijah King
Updated on February 13, 2026
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 families.
What does the name Kelly mean for a boy?
Kelly Origin and MeaningThe name Kelly is both a boy's name and a girl's name of Irish origin meaning "war". A predominantly male name in the US until the late 1950s, the name continued to rise for both sexes for both sexes for a further decade, before starting to decline for boys.