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A few years ago, I thought I had invented this name. Then I started seeing it around, so I guess I didn't! I didn't think of it as being specifically for a boy or a girl, and didn't particularly like it. I just thought of it as something that sounded trendy.

I quite like it for a boy. Although K names and names which end in -en are pretty popular and/or trendy at the moment, Kellen sounds pretty good. I prefer Callum though.

Ugly... like someone took Kelly (ok name) and smushed it together with Hellen (ugly name). Kellen just doesn't work for me.

Hate it. Sorry.

I like it, although it's a tiny bit boring. I mostly like it on a boy. On a girl I imagine it would be shortened to Kelly, which I don't like at all. I like both Kellen and Kellan on boys.

I know a Kellen (it might be Kellan or Kellyn). She's preschool age. The name feels more masculine than feminine to me, despite only seeing it on a girl.

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I don't dislike it, but it doesn't really make a strong impression on me one way or another. It fits into a number of trends--K-names, two-syllable-ending-in-n, "bell tones," and it sounds kind of like a last name. It feels like the more trends a name fits into, the less memorable it becomes, you know? It's not bad, but not remarkable.

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It looks made-up, like Kelly and Ellen smooshed together. Not a fan.
Celyn is okay though, on boys or girls.

It seems male to me but I don't like it

There's a kid named Kellan (pretty sure it's not Kellen) in my daughter's kindergarten, and he's one of those unusually focused, extroverted, relaxed, quick-witted kids that makes me think he's going to be a huge overachiever ... he has what I've come to think of as a "surgeon personality." I would never have liked the name or even thought about it otherwise, but now I think it is pretty okay. I think the spelling Kellen looks more feminine, since it reminds me of Ellen.

It makes me laugh because I once thought I made it up. I was 11 or so. I combined Kelly and Lynn to get Kellyn and then changed the spelling to Kellen. I made it up for a girl ;) It's girly because of Ellen and the Kelly+Lynn resemblance. I don't like it anymore.

My (second) cousin's son is named Kellen. He's 4 or 5. I wouldn't say I dislike it, but I don't like it either. I'm tempted to since I like the sound of it (close to Colin, Calum, etc.), but I don't like the look and it doesn't have enough substance for me. However, because of him and his middle name (Richard), I do get a sort of nice country boy vibe thing from it, which kind of gets it points.

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I also know a female Kellen (or Kellan I think it is), the sister of a guy I went to high school with. She would be like... 20ish now? I always thought it was interesting but sounded masculine.

This message was edited 11/22/2011, 8:45 AM

My mom taught a Kellen, a boy. Or maybe Kellan? I don't know. He was a holy terror, totally hyperactive and weird. Kellen does sound like a totally hyperactive and weird kind of name.

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I like it for a boy more than for a girl though. It's got a sporty, loud, "I hurt myself on camera for a living" kind of vibe to it.