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Keslie
How to Pronounce Keslie
Pronounced KEZ-lee /ΛkΙz.li/Medium
Meaning: Keslie is a respelling of Kelsey or Kesley, English surname-names from Old English ceol ('ship') and eg ('island'), giving roughly 'ship island,' likely referring to a riverside settlement.Low
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Keslie is a respelling of Kelsey, an English place-and-surname-name from Old English words for 'ship' and 'island.' Like Whitney and Courtney, it moved from surname to popular girls' first name in the late twentieth century.
Keslie was never common, given to only about eighteen girls a year at its peak around 1991, with light and scattered use continuing into the 2020s. It carries the same English surname-name feel as Kelsey.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Keslie mean?
It is a respelling of Kelsey, an English surname-name from words meaning 'ship' and 'island.'
How do you pronounce Keslie?
It's said KEZ-lee /ΛkΙz.li/, two syllables with the stress on the first.
Is Keslie a boy or girl name?
Keslie is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Keslie?
It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about eighteen girls a year at its peak in the early 1990s, with scattered use continuing into the 2020s.