Kealie is a unique and beautiful name of Irish origin. It is derived from the Irish word "ceallach," which means "strife" or "contention." Despite its somewhat negative connotation, Kealie has been embraced as a distinctive girls' name in recent years.
The name Kealia was first used in the 1800s in Ireland and later gained popularity among the Irish diaspora in North America during the early to mid-20th century. Today, it is still relatively rare but continues to be chosen by parents looking for a distinctive and meaningful name for their daughters.
One notable person with the name Kealie is Kealia Ohai, an American soccer player who plays as a forward for the Houston Dash of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Born in 1993 to a Hawaiian father and an Irish mother, Ohai proudly carries her Irish heritage through her name.
Based on the statistics provided, the name Kealie has seen a varied level of popularity over time in the United States. Here's a breakdown:
From 1997 to 2001, there was an initial increase in the number of babies named Kealie, with births ranging from 6 to 11 per year. However, after peaking at 11 births in 2000, there was a slight decline to 6 births in 2001.
There was then a gap of four years before the name re-emerged, with 7 births recorded in 2005. This was followed by another dip and then an increase to 8 births in 2007.
After remaining at 7 births in 2008, there was a significant spike in popularity in 2009, with 15 babies named Kealie born that year. This is the highest number recorded since the statistics began.
Following this peak, there was another decline to 6 births in 2011.
In total, over these years, there were 83 babies named Kealie born in the United States. While the name's popularity has fluctuated, it has maintained a consistent presence among baby names in the country since 1997.