UK girl's name
Kelle
An English feminine name derived from Cornish roots meaning "woods".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 1996. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Kelle is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Kelle popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 1996 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3795, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 1996 to 1996. 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.
Kelle is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Kelle. 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 1997 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Kelle ranked #3795 for girls in England and Wales in 1996, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 3 girls were registered as Kelle.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kelle as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3795
1996
Births in 1996
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Kelle mean?
The name Kelle is a German variant of the feminine name Kella, which is believed to have its origins in the Old High German word "kella" or "chella," meaning "cellar" or "cave." This connection suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in or worked in cellars or caves.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kelle can be found in the 12th century, when it was mentioned in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sancti Petri Salisburgensis, a medieval manuscript containing records of the Archbishopric of Salzburg. This document provides evidence that the name was in use during the High Middle Ages in the region of present-day Austria and southern Germany.
In the 16th century, the name Kelle gained prominence through the life of Kelle Weyse, a German Benedictine nun and abbess who lived from 1529 to 1599. She served as the abbess of the Monastery of St. John in Münsterschwarzach, Bavaria, and was known for her piety and leadership.
Another notable figure with the name Kelle was Kelle von Luder, a German noblewoman and landowner who lived in the 14th century. She was born in 1320 and owned extensive properties in the region of Hesse, which she bequeathed to the Teutonic Order upon her death in 1386.
In the realm of literature, the name Kelle appears in the works of the German writer and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. In his novel "Die Leiden des jungen Werther" (The Sorrows of Young Werther), published in 1774, one of the characters is named Kelle Lenette.
Kelle Stine was a Danish writer and translator who lived from 1842 to 1915. She is known for her translations of works by renowned authors such as Charles Dickens and Hans Christian Andersen, as well as for her own literary contributions, including the novel "Inger Johanne" published in 1889.
While the name Kelle has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has also been used in other parts of the world, although with less frequency. It is important to note that this report focuses solely on the first name Kelle and does not cover its usage as a surname or last name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Kelle by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kelle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | #3795 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Kelle
- 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
Kelle: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kelle in the UK right now?
In 1996, Kelle was ranked #3795 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Kelle most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 3 babies registered as Kelle in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kelle?
An English feminine name derived from Cornish roots meaning "woods".
How many people are called Kelle in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Kelle across the 1 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.