Where does the name Chelsea come from?

Chelsea is a girl name of Old English origin.

Is Chelsea a boy or a girl name?

Chelsea is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 162,207 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Chelsea in 2023?

Chelsea ranks #712 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1992 with 16,177 babies.

How do you pronounce Chelsea?

Chelsea is pronounced CHEL-see (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Chelsea?

Chelsea is also written as Chelsey, Chelsi, Chelse.

A name from Old English · Girl

Chelsea

From the London neighborhood Chelsea, from Old English Cealc-hyð meaning 'chalk landing place' on the Thames. Surged as a U.S. girls' name in the late 20th century, fueled in part by the first-daughter Chelsea Clinton.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 113-year arc in numbers.

162,207 U.S. births recorded from 1910–2023.

Popularity · 1910–2023

397 births in 2023

1910 1966 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

CFrom the London neighborhood Chelsea, from Old English Cealc-hyð meaning 'chalk landing place' on the Thames. Surged as a U.S. girls' name in the late 20th century, fueled in part by the first-daughter Chelsea Clinton.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Chelsea".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Chelsey Most common Chelsi Chelse

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Chelsea.

C
Chelsea Clinton (daughter of Bill Clinton)
C
Chelsea Handler (comedian)
C
Chelsea (London neighborhood)

Quick answers

People often ask about Chelsea.

What does the name Chelsea mean?: Chelsea means from the London neighborhood Chelsea, from Old English Cealc-hyð meaning 'chalk landing place' on the Thames. Surged as a U.S. girls' name in the late 20th century, fueled in part by the first-daughter Chelsea Clinton.
Where does the name Chelsea come from?: Chelsea is a girl name of Old English origin.
Is Chelsea a boy or a girl name?: Chelsea is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 162,207 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Chelsea in 2023?: Chelsea ranks #712 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1992 with 16,177 babies.
How do you pronounce Chelsea?: Chelsea is pronounced CHEL-see (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Chelsea?: Chelsea is also written as Chelsey, Chelsi, Chelse.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.