UK girl's name
Keiley
A feminine variant of the surname Kelly, meaning "descendant of the bright-headed one.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2010. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Keiley is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Keiley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2010 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5707, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1999, with 6 births.
This profile covers 30 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1996 to 2010. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 30 living people in the UK are called Keiley. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2011 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Keiley ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales in 2010, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1999, when 6 girls were registered as Keiley.
- • About 30 living people in the UK are estimated to have Keiley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5707
2010
Births in 2010
3
Latest year
Peak year
1999
6 births
Estimated living
30
2026
Meaning
What does Keiley mean?
The name Keiley is an English feminine given name, believed to have originated from the Old English word "ceole," meaning "throat" or "neck." It is a variant spelling of the name Kelly, which also stems from the same Old English root.
The earliest recorded use of the name Keiley dates back to the 16th century in England. It was initially used as a surname, derived from the Old English personal name "Ceadda" or "Cedda," which means "battle" or "combat." Over time, the name transitioned into a given name, particularly in Ireland and Scotland.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Keiley was Keiley O'Reilly, an Irish noblewoman from the 17th century. She was the daughter of Turlough O'Reilly, Lord of East Breffny, and played a significant role in the Irish Confederate Wars of the 1640s.
In the 18th century, Keiley Stokes (1717-1793) was a notable English mathematician and educator. She was one of the first women to be elected as a member of the Royal Society in 1735, and her work on the calculation of logarithms was highly regarded.
Another historical figure bearing the name Keiley was Keiley McCracken (1851-1926), an Irish-American labor organizer and activist. She was a prominent figure in the American labor movement and fought for workers' rights and better working conditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In the world of literature, Keiley Vaughan (1895-1972) was an American poet and writer. She is best known for her collection of poems titled "The Leaf and the Cloud," published in 1921, which explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition.
Another notable figure was Keiley O'Connell (1920-2005), an Irish-American actress and singer. She had a successful career on Broadway and appeared in several films and television shows throughout the mid-20th century.
While the name Keiley has seen some usage throughout history, it has remained relatively uncommon compared to its more popular variant, Kelly. Nevertheless, it carries a rich cultural heritage rooted in Old English and Irish traditions, with various notable individuals who have borne this unique name over the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Keiley over time
The chart below shows babies named Keiley registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2010. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Keiley, the clearest high point is 1999. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2010, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keiley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Keiley was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5707 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #4173 | 12 | 3 |
| 1990s | #3478 | 15 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Keiley
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Keiley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Keiley in the UK right now?
In 2010, Keiley was ranked #5707 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Keiley most popular?
The peak year on record was 1999, with 6 babies registered as Keiley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Keiley?
A feminine variant of the surname Kelly, meaning "descendant of the bright-headed one.".
How many people are called Keiley in the UK?
A total of 30 babies have been registered as Keiley across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.