Home › Baby Names Directory › Kellen

Kellen

♀ Girl

Pronounced KEL-en /ˈkɛl.ən/High

Meaning: Kellen traces to the Irish Gaelic Caolan ('slender') carried into English as a surname-first name, and separately echoes a German place-name root tied to marshy or swampy ground. Used here for a girl though it is overwhelmingly a boys' name in the U.S.Low

In 30 seconds: A trim two-beat name: Kellen reads as 'slender' by way of Irish Gaelic (said 'KEL-en'). It's used here for a girl, though it's overwhelmingly a boy's name, which we note.

💕 Browse more names

Origin LowGaelic, German

MeaningKellen traces to the Irish Gaelic Caolan ('slender') carried into English as a surname-first name, and separately echoes a German place-name root tied to marshy or swampy ground. Used here for a girl though it is overwhelmingly a boys' name in the U.S.

U.S. rank (2023)#9951 ↘ Falling

2023 U.S. births10 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1988

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,260

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kellen grew from the Irish Gaelic Caolan ('slender'), anglicized into a surname and then a first name; a separate German strand ties it to marshy ground. In the U.S. it is overwhelmingly a boys' name, with only rare use for girls, which we note (said 'KEL-en').

For girls it appears only rarely in the U.S., far behind its boys' use. Rare for girls, crisp, and cross-sex.

Did you know? Kellen traces to the Irish Gaelic Caolan, 'slender,' and doubles as an echo of a German swampy-meadow place-name. It's a familiar boys' pick that occasionally crosses to girls, which we note plainly (said 'KEL-en').

Overall data confidence 42%

References — Kellen — Irish Gaelic Caolan 'slender'; German swampy-place echo; cross-sex, boy-leaning

Variations

KellanKellynCaolan

Nicknames

KelKelli

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kellen…

Kendall— a like crisp surname-style pick

Kylen— echoes that soft -en sound

Karsten— a fellow German choice

Callen— shares the -en ending

Morgen— another German name

Explore names like Kellen

By themeshort cross-sex unisex-lean-boy gaelic

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Kellen mean?

Kellen traces to Irish Gaelic Caolan, 'slender,' with a separate German echo tied to swampy ground.

How do you pronounce Kellen?

It's said KEL-en /ˈkɛl.ən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Kellen a boy or girl name?

Kellen is overwhelmingly a boys' name in the U.S.; here it is used for a girl, which we flag.

How popular is Kellen?

Kellen is extremely rare for girls in the U.S.