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KELLIE (KEL-ee)

ETYMOLOGY:

A variant of KELLY, the name is thought to be an Anglicisation of the Gaelic clan name O Ceallaigh, meaning descendent of CEALLACH.
The name CEALLACH itself is often taken to mean "war, strife", though new parents may prefer the alternative meaning "bright-headed."

ORIGIN & HISTORY:

KELLY is a very common Irish surname, which appears to have first come into use as a male Christian name in the late nineteenth century. It was not until the 1940s that the name was adopted for female use. Although it is considered a unisex name, it is now more prevalent among women.

The variant KELLIE is used exclusively as a girls' name. It first appeared in the US Social Security Administration top 1000 baby names in 1956, peaking at 130 in 1969.

POPULARITY:

Both KELLY and KELLIE experienced a surge in popularity in the 1960s and remained in the top 100 names for newborn girls until the late nineties.

Some attribute this to the popularity of American actress GRACE KELLY, who famously married Prince Ranier of Monoco in 1956. Perhaps Princess Grace inspired many parents when it came to naming their own little princess.

FASCINATING FACTS:

Although Kelly is now primarily used as a girls' name, it is given to boys 14.77 % of the time.

FAMOUS PERSONS:

KELLIE COFFEY, b. April 22 1971, American country music singer-songwriter.

KELLIE MARTIN, b. October 16 1975, American actress best known for her roles in made-for-television movies and roles as Becca Thatcher in the ABC drama "Life Goes On" and medical student Lucy Knight on "ER".

KELLIE PICKLER, b. June 28 1986, American pop-country singer-songwriter who finished in fifth place in the sixth series of Fox reality show "American Idol".

KELLIE SUTTLE, b. May 9 1973, retired American track and field athlete and former Olympian.

NAME VARIANTS:

Kelly, Kelle, Kellee, Kelleigh, Kelley, Kelli, Kellye (all KEL-ee)
Additionally, the name is sometimes combined with another name such as Kellyn (Kelly + Lyn) or Kellyanne (Kelly + Anne)

http://www.behindthename. com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/
ht tp://www.nameplayground.com/

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