Gene Kelly
There are approximately 53 people named Gene Kelly living in the United States today. That makes this name combination very rare, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 6,467,063 Americans.
This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name Gene with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Kelly. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and Census demographics where available.
Expected bearers
53
1 in 6,467,063
Named Gene
63K
Alive today
Named Kelly
293K
Alive today
US population
343M
Denominator
Estimated living: 63K
Rarity: Uncommon
Gender: Male
Peak year: 1928
Average age: 68
Top Census group: White (80.2%)
Estimated bearers: 293K
Rarity: Common
Census rank: #80
Per 100K: 85.49
Top ancestry: White (75.6%)
First name trend
Gene: popularity over time
Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name Gene. The peak year was 1928 with 3,311 births. The average person named Gene today is 68 years old.
Babies born per year
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gene
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the first name Gene, from the 2020 US Census Bureau first-name tables. The largest published group is White at 80.2%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Gene described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the name Gene at the time of the Census. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White80.2% · 51,699
- Black or African American8.3% · 5,337
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.1% · 2,664
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 2,520
- Two or more races2.5% · 1,615
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 629
Ethnicity
Ancestry of the Kelly surname
Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Kelly, from the 2020 US Census Bureau. The largest group is White at 75.6%.
The bar chart below shows how people with the surname Kelly described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. These are self-reported numbers, and they describe the population who happened to carry the surname Kelly at the time of the Census. A surname does not determine a person's race or ethnicity.
- White75.6% · 193,262
- Black or African American15.8% · 40,281
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 9,494
- Two or more races3.6% · 9,220
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1,952
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1,307
Methodology
How we calculated this
The first name Gene has a living-bearer frequency of 0.0183% of the US population, based on 62,564 estimated living Americans carrying this first name (from SSA birth records going back to 1880, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables).
Even though the Census Bureau now publishes first-name tables, we do not use that file as the main first-name input for this estimate. The latest first-name Census snapshot is from 2020, which makes it 6 years old today. Because Census first-name data is only released once every 10 years, SSA birth records plus CDC survival rates give a better current estimate of how many people are likely alive with the name Gene right now.
The surname Kelly appears at a rate of 85.49 per 100,000 residents in the 2020 Census Bureau surname file, which translates to a frequency of 0.0855%.
Multiplying these two independent frequencies against the current US population of 342,754,338 gives an expected count of approximately 53 people with the full name Gene Kelly. This assumes statistical independence between first and last names, which is a simplification but produces reasonable estimates for most combinations.
Related
Other people named Gene
Related
Other people with the surname Kelly
FAQ
Gene Kelly: questions and answers
How many people are named Gene Kelly?
We estimate approximately 53 people in the United States share the full name Gene Kelly. That works out to about 1 in 6,467,063 Americans. This is calculated by combining the first-name frequency (0.0183%) with the surname frequency (85.49 per 100K) against the current US population.
How rare is the name Gene Kelly?
We classify Gene Kelly as "Very Rare". About 1 in 6,467,063 Americans share this exact first and last name combination.
Is Gene a male or female name?
Gene is predominantly male. Out of 133,809 total SSA registrations, 94.8% were male and 5.2% were female. See the full Gene profile for detailed gender data.
Where does this data come from?
First-name data comes from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files (1880 to 2024). Surname data comes from the 2020 US Census Bureau decennial surname tables. Living-bearer estimates use CDC actuarial life tables to adjust for mortality. Read the full methodology.
How common is the name Gene Kelly?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Gene Kelly on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.