Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Kellis

Kellis

♀ Girl

Pronounced KEL-is /ˈkɛl.ɪs/Medium

Meaning: Kellis is chiefly a surname pressed into service as a first name. It is usually linked to the Kelly/Kellagh group of Irish and English names, and as a girl's name it also echoes Kelis, itself a modern coinage. The surname route makes its meaning inherited rather than freshly coined.Low

In 30 seconds: Kellis is a surname used as a girl's name, tied to the Kelly family and echoing Kelis. It stayed rare as a first name (said KEL-is).
💕 Browse more names
Origin LowIrish, English
MeaningKellis is chiefly a surname pressed into service as a first name. It is usually linked to the Kelly/Kellagh group of Irish and English names, and as a girl's name it also echoes Kelis, itself a modern coinage. The surname route makes its meaning inherited rather than freshly coined.
U.S. rank (2017)#17173 ↘ Falling
2017 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2007
Total births (all-time)≈ 104

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200720012017

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

Kellis is primarily a surname, generally grouped with Kelly and its Irish relatives, that some families adopted as a first name. For girls it also rides the sound of Kelis; either way the meaning is carried by the surname tradition rather than a new coinage.

It stayed rare as a given name, appearing for only about sixteen girls a year at its peak in the two-thousands. A girl named Kellis then is a teenager or young adult today.

Did you know? Kellis works as both a family surname and, for girls, a near-echo of Kelis, giving the same crisp two-beat sound from two different directions.
Overall data confidence 32%
References - Kellis — Surname used as given name; Kelly group; echoes Kelis

Variations

KellysKelisKellice

Nicknames

KellKellyElli

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kellis…

Kelis— the girls' name Kellis closely echoes
Kelly— the related Irish name behind the surname
Ellis— a like surname-name ending in -llis
Kenlee— a similar modern two-beat girls' name

Explore names like Kellis

By themeuncertainmodernraresurname-name

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Kellis mean?

It is a surname used as a first name, generally linked to the Kelly family; as a girl's name it also echoes Kelis.

How do you pronounce Kellis?

It is said KEL-is, two syllables with the stress at the front.

Is Kellis a boy or girl name?

Here Kellis is used as a girl's name, though surnames like it can go either way.

How popular is Kellis?

It was always rare as a given name, reaching only about sixteen girls a year at its peak in the two-thousands.

💬 Ask Nia