2000
#184
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137,555
First available Census row
Per 100,000 50.99
Common Last name
Kelley
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Ceallaigh," meaning "descendant of Ceallach" (brave or bright-headed).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 157,388 Americans carry the last name Kelley. That puts it at #203 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 45.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,178 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kelley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Kelley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
157K
1 in 2,178
Census rank
#203
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
45.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
137K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 137,250 bearers of the surname Kelley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 45.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 203rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kelley
The surname Kelley is an ancient Irish name that originated in County Derry, Ireland. It is derived from the Gaelic word "O'Ceallaigh," which means "descendant of Ceallach." Ceallach was a popular personal name in Ireland during the Middle Ages, and it means "bright-headed" or "bright hair."
The name Kelley first appeared in Irish records in the 12th century. One of the earliest recorded examples is found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history, which mentions a man named Domhnall O'Ceallaigh who lived in the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the Kelley family was one of the most powerful clans in County Derry, and they held significant lands and influence in the area. The name is also associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Killylea and Killyleagh, which are derived from the Gaelic word "Coill," meaning "wood," and the name Ceallach.
During the Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, many Irish families adopted anglicized versions of their surnames to adapt to the new English rule. The Gaelic name "O'Ceallaigh" was anglicized to "Kelley," "Kelly," and "Killey," among other spellings.
One of the most famous people with the surname Kelley was John Kelley (1753-1809), an American soldier who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He is best known for his role in the Battle of Monmouth, where he served as a personal guard to General George Washington.
Another notable figure with the Kelley surname was Edward Kelley (1555-1597), an English renaissance occultist and self-proclaimed spirit medium. He worked closely with the famous mathematician and occultist John Dee and was involved in various occult practices and alchemical experiments.
In the literary world, Mary Ann Kelley (1819-1893) was an Irish-American author and editor who wrote several novels and short stories. She is best known for her work "Massah and His Scholars," which was published in 1855.
John Kelley (1786-1857) was an American politician and jurist who served as the 21st Governor of Connecticut from 1842 to 1844. He was also a prominent lawyer and judge in the state.
Finally, James Kelley (1900-1972) was an American actor and singer who appeared in several Broadway musicals and Hollywood films during the mid-20th century. He is best known for his roles in the musicals "Pal Joey" and "On the Town."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kelley
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kelley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Kelley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.3% · 110,188
- Black or African American10.7% · 14,691
- Two or more races4.5% · 6,123
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 4,463
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 925
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 860
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kelley
Kelley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140,693
+3,138 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 47.70
Rank movement Down 14 places
2020
#203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137,250
-3,443 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 45.92
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #184 | 137,555 | 50.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #198 | 140,693 | 47.70 | +3,138 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 14 places |
| 2020 | #203 | 137,250 | 45.92 | -3,443 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 5 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Kelley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #198 | #203 | -2.5% |
| Count | 140,693 | 137,250 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 47.70 | 45.92 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kelley bearers went from 140,693 to 137,250 (-2.4% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #198 to #203.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kelley
FAQ
Kelley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kelley?
Name Census estimates that about 157,388 living Americans carry the surname Kelley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,178 residents.
How common is Kelley?
Kelley ranks #203 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 45.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 46 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 137,250 people with the surname Kelley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (157,388), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 45.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 45.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 46 of them to have the surname Kelley.
Has Kelley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kelley went from 140,693 recorded bearers to 137,250. That is a decrease of 3,443 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #198 to #203.
What does the Census say about the background of Kelley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kelley, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.3%. The next largest groups are Black (10.7%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kelley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.3% (110,188 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kelley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.3%), Black (10.7%), Two or More Races (4.5%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Kelley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Kelley mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Ceallaigh," meaning "descendant of Ceallach" (brave or bright-headed). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Kelley (45.92 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Kelley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.