# Is Keely a man's or a woman's name? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458 "2006-10-06T01:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/1 "2006-10-06T01:44:00Z")
I have a meeting this afternoon with a person whose first name is Keely. I’ve never come across this name before. Should I be expecting a man or a woman? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/2 "2006-10-06T01:59:44Z")
I am not sure you can assume much of anything. [www.keely.com](http://www.keely.com) belongs to a woman by that name. OTOH, I got burned yesterday when Cary showed up to meet me at the office. I was wondering how hot she would be like I always do just based on e-mails and IM’s (just a diversion). He wasn’t hot at all and I definitely don’t swing that way. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/3 "2006-10-06T02:00:57Z")
The only Keely I know is a very famous female jazz singer named [ulr=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keely\_Smith]Keely Smith. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/4 "2006-10-06T02:02:56Z")
erm…[Keely Smith](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keely_Smith) And her real name isn’t Keely - it’s Dorothy - that’s her real surname and her real stage name. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/5 "2006-10-06T02:10:16Z")
Well Keely Hazell is most definitely a woman. Google away. Probably not worksafe. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/6 "2006-10-06T02:23:10Z")
[QUOTE=Valgard] Google away. Probably not worksafe. [/QUOTE] …but what a phenomenal way to lose your job! 😃 She spells it “Keeley” however. Still, bonus points. I went to high school with two girls who were cousins: Katherine Keeley {lastname} and Keeley Kennedy {lastname}. It was a family name only used for girls. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/7 "2006-10-06T02:38:44Z")
According to this website: > **[Keely - Name Meaning, What does Keely mean?](https://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Keely)** > > Thinking of names? Complete 2021 information on the meaning of Keely, its origin, history, pronunciation, popularity, variants and more as a baby girl name. Keely is a modestly common girl’s name and a rare boy’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/8 "2006-10-06T02:57:41Z")
[QUOTE=Jurph] …but what a phenomenal way to lose your job! 😃 She spells it “Keeley” however. Still, bonus points. I went to high school with two girls who were cousins: Katherine Keeley {lastname} and Keeley Kennedy {lastname}. It was a family name only used for girls. [/QUOTE] I hope their last names didn’t start with a K. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/9 "2006-10-06T03:26:55Z")
In the 1930 U.S. Census, about 196 people had the first name Keeley (assuming the name _Kelley_ wasn’t misread by the indexers as _Keeley_). Slightly more than half were men. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/10 "2006-10-06T03:57:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Is Keely a man’s or a woman’s name? No. In fact I wouldn’t give it to a dog. ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/11 "2006-10-06T04:33:20Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] I have a meeting this afternoon with a person whose first name is Keely. I’ve never come across this name before. Should I be expecting a man or a woman? [/QUOTE] It can be either. To judge from the IMDb, it’s more common as a woman’s name. The IMDb lists the following actresses named Keely or Keeley: Keely Armistead Keely Barr Keely Beresford Keely Bond Keely Carter Keely Christian Keely Comstock Keely Field Keely Janes Keely Jones Keely Macarow Keely Moll Keely Purvis Keely Rusk Keely Sheehan Keely Sims Keely Shaye Smith Keely Smith Keely Thomas Keely Watson (II) Keely Webb Keely Williams Keely Wright Keeley Coxon Keeley Fawcett Keeley Flanders Keeley Forsyth Keeley Gainey Keeley Marie Gallagher Keeley Gamble Keeley Hall Keeley Harland Keeley Hawes Keeley Hazell Keeley Hiatt Keeley Johnson Keeley Linder Keeley Locke Keeley Mills Keeley O’Hara. The IMDb lists only four actors named Keely, and none named Keeley: Keely Berrios Keely Lane Keely Watson (I) Keely Watson (III) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/12 "2006-10-06T13:32:54Z")
There’s a woman at my office named “Keely”, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/13 "2006-10-06T13:41:34Z")
My last gf’s name was Keely. She said that it was an irish name. I so called her Kelly when we first met (and she seems like a Kelly, anyway). I wonder if she still thinks about me? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/14 "2006-10-06T13:51:49Z")
Probably. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/15 "2006-10-06T13:52:07Z")
Popularity of Keeley as a Female name (rank in top 1000 names of females born in the U.S.) ## 2002 987 2001 Not in top 1000 2000 991 1999 982 1998 Not in top 1000 1997 903 Keeley is not in the top 1000 male names for any year of birth in the last 15 years. * * * Over the past 15 years, Keeley is more common as a female name in the U.S. [Source](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/) ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-keely-a-mans-or-a-womans-name/375458/16 "2006-10-06T13:52:49Z")
[QUOTE=Cunctator] I have a meeting this afternoon with a person whose first name is Keely. I’ve never come across this name before. Should I be expecting a man or a woman? [/QUOTE] One never knows, does one? Expect the unexpected. There does not same to be any restrictions as to what names may be given to a boy or girl baby anymore. Appers that parents get a book of names for boys and girls then choose from either list regardless of sex.