UK girl's name
Keli
A feminine name meaning "crown" or "garland" in Hebrew.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2003. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Keli is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Keli popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2003 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3594, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 1996 to 2003. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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.
Keli is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 20 living people in the UK are called Keli. 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 2004 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Keli ranked #3594 for girls in England and Wales in 2003, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 4 girls were registered as Keli.
- • Keli ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #409 in 1978.
- • About 20 living people in the UK are estimated to have Keli as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3594
2003
Births in 2003
4
Latest year
Peak year
2003
4 births
Estimated living
20
2026
Meaning
What does Keli mean?
The name Keli has its origins in Hawaiian culture and language. It is a diminutive form of the name Kelikoku, which means "the chief" or "the leader" in Hawaiian. The name Keli was likely first used as a shortened version of Kelikoku during the late 18th or early 19th century.
In ancient Hawaiian mythology, Keli was the name of a demigod who was known for his strength and bravery. He was said to be the son of the god Ku and the mortal woman Hina. The stories of Keli's exploits were passed down through oral traditions and chants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Keli can be found in the journals of Captain James Cook, who visited the Hawaiian Islands in 1778-1779. Cook's journals mention a chief named Keli who ruled over the island of Kauai at that time.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the name Keli. One of the most famous was Keli'iahonui, who was the king of the island of Kauai in the late 18th century. He was known for his resistance against the rule of Kamehameha I, who was attempting to unify the Hawaiian Islands under his control.
Another notable figure was Keli'i Kalama, a Hawaiian composer and musician who lived in the late 19th century. He was known for his contributions to the Hawaiian Renaissance, a movement that sought to revive and preserve Hawaiian culture and traditions.
In the 20th century, Keli Moniz was a famous Hawaiian surfer who was inducted into the Surfing Walk of Fame in 2005. He was born in 1935 and is credited with helping to popularize the sport of surfing in Hawaii and around the world.
Keli'i Tau'a was a Hawaiian musician and singer who was born in 1945. He was known for his work in promoting and preserving traditional Hawaiian music and dance, and he won several Na Hoku Hanohano Awards, which are considered the highest honors in Hawaiian music.
Overall, the name Keli has a rich history rooted in Hawaiian culture and tradition. It has been associated with leaders, demigods, artists, and influential figures throughout the centuries, reflecting the enduring legacy of this name within the Hawaiian community.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Keli over time
The chart below shows babies named Keli registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2003. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Keli, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2003, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Keli by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Keli 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3594 | 4 | 1 |
| 1990s | #3795 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Keli is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Keli. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Keli ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #409 in 1978.
Across the UK
Keli in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#409 in 1978
2 years of NRS records, 13 total registered
Related
Names similar to Keli
- 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
Keli: questions and answers
How popular is the name Keli in the UK right now?
In 2003, Keli was ranked #3594 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Keli most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 4 babies registered as Keli in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Keli?
A feminine name meaning "crown" or "garland" in Hebrew.
How many people are called Keli in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Keli across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 13 more in Scotland.
Where is Keli most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Keli ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #409 in 1978. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
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.