UK girl's name
Kelise
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "keliz," meaning "woodlark.".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kelise is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kelise popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5493, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2004, with 33 births.
This profile covers 187 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 2000 to 2020. 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.
The latest count is about 9% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 189 living people in the UK are called Kelise. 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 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kelise ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2004, when 33 girls were registered as Kelise.
- • Kelise ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2005.
- • About 189 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kelise as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5493
2020
Births in 2020
3
Latest year
Peak year
2004
33 births
Estimated living
189
2026
Meaning
What does Kelise mean?
The name Kelise is believed to have its origins in the ancient Greek language, deriving from the words "kalos" meaning beautiful and "ise" meaning equal or alike. It is thought to have first emerged during the classical period of ancient Greece, roughly around the 5th century BCE.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the works of the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, who lived from approximately 446 to 386 BCE. In his comedy "The Birds," a character named Kelise is referenced, though little is known about the specific context or significance of this character.
Throughout the centuries, the name Kelise has been borne by various notable individuals, though records can be scarce and scattered. One such figure was Kelise of Antioch, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century CE and was executed for her faith during the persecutions under the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
In the realm of literature, Kelise was the name of a character in the epic poem "The Argonautica" by Apollonius Rhodius, a Greek scholar and poet who lived in the 3rd century BCE. This work recounts the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, and while the role of the character Kelise is somewhat obscure, her inclusion in this significant work of ancient Greek literature is notable.
During the Byzantine era, there is record of a Kelise who lived in the 6th century CE and was a prominent figure in the court of the Emperor Justinian I. She served as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress Theodora and is mentioned in various historical accounts from that time period.
Jumping forward in time, Kelise was also the name of a notable French painter who lived during the 18th century, though details on her life and works are somewhat limited in surviving records. Nevertheless, her existence serves as an example of the name's enduring presence throughout various historical eras and cultural contexts.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kelise over time
The chart below shows babies named Kelise registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Kelise, the clearest high point is 2004. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 33 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kelise by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kelise 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5493 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4532 | 38 | 8 |
| 2000s | #1879 | 146 | 10 |
Geography
Where Kelise is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kelise. 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.
Kelise ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #687 in 2005.
Across the UK
Kelise in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#687 in 2005
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Kelise
- 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
Kelise: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kelise in the UK right now?
In 2020, Kelise was ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Kelise most popular?
The peak year on record was 2004, with 33 babies registered as Kelise in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kelise?
A feminine name derived from the Greek word "keliz," meaning "woodlark.".
How many people are called Kelise in the UK?
A total of 187 babies have been registered as Kelise across the 19 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Kelise most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kelise ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #687 in 2005. 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.