Keely is of Irish origin, derived from the Irish surname "Ó Ceallaigh," which means "descendant of Ceallach." The name gained popularity as a given name in English-speaking countries during the mid-20th century. It has since been used more frequently for girls and has a modern, unique sound to it. Keely is pronounced /'keɪli/ with two syllables, where the 'e' is short as in 'bed,' and the 'i' is pronounced like 'ee' as in 'bee.' As of recent data, Keely ranks among the top 1,000 most popular baby girl names in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It has also been used occasionally for boys but is more commonly associated with females. Some notable people named Keely include Canadian actress Keely Hawkes and American singer-songwriter Keely Smith.
Keely is not a very common name, with only 21 births recorded over the span of these years. The peak popularity occurred in 1996 with 6 births.