For the Swifties: Thoughts on Kelce?

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] all!

I’m writing a story on the name [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] and I want to know (from [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] [name_m]Swift[/name_m] fans): what do you think of [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] as a given name?

Side note: please don’t click the link to take you to the name page because that will reveal the thesis of my piece and I don’t want to influence you! :speak_no_evil:

I may use quotes below in my article so please keep that in mind (or make note if you do NOT want to be quoted).

Thanks!

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It’s odd because it’s a relatively new name, but to me it almost feels dated already!!

I think that’s because of the similarity to the name [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] which feels super 90s: [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] just feels like a nickname for a Kelsey!!

I also am not sure how long the association of [name_m]Travis[/name_m] [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] is going to stick around, but if I met a [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] right now I would definitely assume that her parents are either football fans or [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] [name_m]Swift[/name_m] fans :face_with_peeking_eye:

I honestly think I’d prefer to see [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] on a boy - he feels strong and new-wave, sort of like [name_m]Kelso[/name_m], and I think he could definitely work with some of the newer, more “rough-and-tumble” single syllable boys names (See [name_m]Hart[/name_m], [name_u]Rhodes[/name_u], and [name_u]Wilde[/name_u] - wouldn’t a little [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] just fit perfectly?!)

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What is the etymology / meaning / origin of it? [name_u]Or[/name_u] is it invented?
It is the first time I hear about it.

I am not a Swiftie, so I have no idea of how this is even pronunced… Is it read like [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u]? [name_u]Or[/name_u] like “Kels”?

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[name_u]Read[/name_u] like [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] — it’s a variation!

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I am not a fan of it, I prefer [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u]. For some reason [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] has something that is unappealing for me.

I met once a girl from Mexico named “Kelso” or something like that. I am not sure of the spelling, but what I heard was [name_m]Kelso[/name_m] (Kelsey, but replace the -ey with an -o like the ending of Margot)

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I’m not a Swiftie, but I was wondering if his influence would impact the usage of this name. I like the name [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] in general (probably unpopular opinion as it’s quite 90s-dated) and [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] just seems like a spelling variant of it (along the lines of [name_f]Kelcie[/name_f], [name_f]Kelsea[/name_f], etc). I agree with a previous poster that it could make an interesting boys’ name actually.

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I agree! And [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] for a boy immediately makes me think of [name_u]Kayce[/name_u] — one of the fastest rising boy names of 2022 from the character [name_u]Kayce[/name_u] [name_u]Dutton[/name_u] on Yellowstone.

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I love the idea of [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] on a boy! for a girl, it does seem a tad dated to me, although I only know of two (and one Kesley) so I’m not like overly tired of it. I would hesitate to call it a [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] [name_m]Swift[/name_m] name? since they’ve only been together for a few months? just not sure if it will be a long-lasting association, but who’s to say.

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I think that [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] works for any gender too

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[name_f]Kelce[/name_f] definitely seems gender neutral to me, although I may be biased, as the best man at my parents’ wedding was called [name_f]Kelcey[/name_f]!

I especially think with both Mr [name_m]Swift[/name_m] himself and his brother being NFL players, that gives the name some credence from a masculine perspective. And maybe makes it something Dads are slightly more likely to agree to in general for either sex? In fact, [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] could be some unexpected middle ground for a Swiftie/football fan pairing of parents!

It’s always tricky using a name that a celebrity has - they could do something controversial, or in this case, break your favourite singer’s heart! But I wouldn’t be surprised if some people are brave enough to risk it. It feels more modern than the slightly dated [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] with this spelling, but familiar and similar enough that it’s not exclusively “football star’s name”.

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i actually quite like kelce! for me, it feels a lot newer and more original than kelsey, and i definitely think that it looks better than kelsey spelled out! it has a similar feel and that same sound without feeling dated or tied to a certain “aesthetic”. it also definitely feels gender neutral to me! in terms of the association, it’s definitely not a bad one to have, and it won’t be so tied to travis once all this publicity dies down a bit! (side note: this is spoken by a major swiftie!!!)

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I’ve always liked [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u], even though I do agree it’s a little dated at this point. Pop culture associations notwithstanding, [name_f]Kelce[/name_f] feels like a cool alternative spelling, except I think it makes the pronunciation less clear.

Despite that, I’m not super into [name_f]Kelce[/name_f], primarily because I don’t love baby names inspired by living celebrities in general – who knows what his reputation could be in the future! I know a few stories of people who were named after celebrities who seemed great at the time but later turned out to be not-so-great, so I’m always wary.

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:eyes::rofl:

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@Archer27 I didn’t even make that connection, haha! :woman_facepalming: Good catch :sweat_smile:

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[name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] is my favourite girl names so I’m a little biased. For this spelling, I’d prefer it for a boy name, however, the pronunciation isn’t as clear. In the context of [name_m]Travis[/name_m] [name_u]Kelce[/name_u], I know the pronunciation but if I read it as a first name itself, I’d second guess myself. I don’t engage with football or only occasionally with [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] [name_m]Swift[/name_m] but if I saw [name_u]Kelce[/name_u] as a first name, my thought would be one of those associations.

[name_u]Kelce[/name_u] reads unisex to me – but I predict it rising more for girls than for boys. Especially with [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] [name_m]Swift[/name_m] in the picture. As someone who’s not American/doesn’t watch American football, I did not know who [name_m]Travis[/name_m] [name_u]Kelce[/name_u] was before he started dating TS.

I think anyone who chooses to name their child this is either an American football fan or a [name_u]Taylor[/name_u] [name_m]Swift[/name_m] fan. [name_f]My[/name_f] bets are on the latter, especially for non-American parents who choose this name.

As for the name, I think [name_u]Kelsey[/name_u] seems more complete as a name so I prefer that.

It’s a fun, kicky surname… but as a given name, it looks like an [name_f]Ashleigh[/name_f] or [name_f]Hailee[/name_f]. A new spelling of a 90s staple. (Which are not my favorite style!)