Given name & surname
Keelin
“a lively and bright-headed woman”·“a slender and beautiful woman”·“a slender man”
Keelin is a variant of Kelly. One Irish interpretation is “a lively and bright-headed woman.” Keelin is a variant of Keelan. Interpretations include “a slender and beautiful woman” (Irish) and “a slender man”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Keelin is a variant of Kelly. One Irish interpretation is “a lively and bright-headed woman.” Keelin is a variant of Keelan. Interpretations include “a slender and beautiful woman” (Irish) and “a slender man”. These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Keelin is a variant of Kelly. Kelly has been associated with Irish Gaelic and Irish naming traditions. Keelin is a variant of Keelan. An origin associated with Keelan is Irish.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
Keelin developed from an English adaptation of Gaelic Caoilfhionn. The earlier name combines caol (“slender”) and fionn (“white”).
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1956. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Keelin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,396
- 356 boys · 1,040 girls
- Most popular year
- 2002
- 70 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #9,325 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −59%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 56% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 9,325 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 23 in 2000. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,302 as a first name in 2020; 578 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Keelin’s family of names
Keelin has a related form in Kelly. Keelin has a related form in Keelan. Keelin is an English adaptation of Caoilfhionn.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Keelin
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Keelin, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Karman
“the lord of the manor”
35% boys · 65% girls
Kiernan
“having dark features; the little dark one”
69% boys · 31% girls
Kelby
“from the waters” · “from the farm near the spring”
60% boys · 40% girls
Daley
“of the assembly”
36% boys · 64% girls
Devine
“resembling an ox” · “of the divine”
50% boys · 50% girls
Reilly
“an outgoing man”
46% boys · 54% girls
Larkin
“a pretty young woman” · “one who is fierce”
40% boys · 60% girls
Findley
“a fair-haired hero”
75% boys · 25% girls