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I will say what pretty much everyone else has said: I misread the name as “Kelsey” without a second thought. I think this could be an ongoing struggle with the name “Kesley.” It does have a neat sound! It just looks far too similar to Kelsey. If you’re determined to use this name, maybe a spelling like “Kessley” would make enough of a visual difference for people to get it right at a glance.
Best wishes on deciding her name!

I also originally thought that Keslee/Kesley was a typo of Kelsey, sorry. If these responses are anything to go by, I think basically everyone will. I also think the "slee" sound is an awkward ending. Double e endings look like they deserve heavy emphasis to me ("kes-LEE!" rather than "KES-lee" or an even "Kes-Lee"). Two names with the same ending that's pronounced differently is extra confusing. My brain wants to pronounce the combo Keslee Renee as Kes-lay Ren-nay or Kes-lee Ren-nee, not Kes-lee Ren-nay.

I immediately thought it said Kelsey and I think most people will. Just because Keslee looks slightly different than the common spelling of Kelsey, people may look at it more closely and realize it's not, though I don't think it looks better, especially not with the double ee on both the first and middle. No matter what, people will confuse it with Kelsey.

I misread the name as Kelsey too. Sorry, but I'm not a fan.

I misread it too as Kelsey. I'd prefer Renee Kesley or Kelsey or Chelsea
As others have said she'd always have the Kelsey association

I thought it was Kelsey there for a minute too.
To be honest, Keslee is one of those cutesy, made-up-out-of-popular-sounds names that won't actually stand out the way parents probably think it will. It'll just melt in with the Kennedys and Kynslees and Mckenzies and Kaisleys ad nauseam.
You'd do better just to name her Kelsey.

Kelsey, Kenzie, Kaylee, Kensley, etc., are trendy names beginning to sound dated. Similar more established names that might appeal to you are

Chelsea
Francesca
Cassandra "Cassie" "Cass"
Chloe

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I agree with the others that the spelling of Keslee with Renee is too much and that it will be mistaken as Kelsey.

This message was edited 12/6/2024, 2:41 PM

I honestly misread those as Kelsey and I'm sure a lot of others will do the same. She'll constantly have to correct people. That aside, Kesley Renee.
Those modern double e spellings look terrible. Plus, Renee is already a double e spelling, so it's also a bit overkill to have both names to have the same ending.

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Kesley Renee looks a lot better than Keslee Renee
Kelsey Renee would be even better.

Keslee and Kesley both look like typos for Leslee/Lesley, so she'll have a lot of explaining to do. And I'm afraid that I really don't enjoy the sound of it; that's before I'd even considered the Kelsey issue. If you both really love the name, I think Renee Kesley would be less trouble and also nicer.

I'm really sorry, but I honestly mistook Keslee for "Kelsee" at first glance; I'm also not a fan of it (well, as first name, at the very least). I do like the sound of the potential nickname Kessie, to be honest. I'd suggest Renee Kesley instead, because Renee is already uncommon nowadays; I think Renee would be refreshing. Then also, nobody would certainly ever guess her middle name, so that's another fun perk. I agree with Justina and feel that she may correcting people for much of life, with Kesley / Keslee.

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For a unique K name, how about the name Kella (I've heard it on a 96 year old woman, so I also know it has history)? Sure, she may also have to correct people who assume Kelly or Ella, but I think it's more doable. Are there perhaps any other names that you like?

I think she's going to spend a lot of her life correcting people on her name's spelling and pronunciation.
Her name will be just one more hurdle to overcome, and a totally unnecessary one at that.

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I do not like the name (sorry!)

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Keslee Renee doubles down on pronunciation issues since the double 'ee' is pronounced differently in each name.

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Kesley Renee is better.