We have theoretically investigated Kelvin waves of quantized vortex lines in trapped Bose-Einstein condensates. Counterrotating perturbation induces an elliptical instability to the initially straight vortex line, driven by a parametric resonance between a quadrupole mode and a pair of Kelvin modes of opposite momenta. Subsequently, Kelvin waves rapidly decay to longer wavelengths emitting sound waves in the process. We present a modified Kelvin wave dispersion relation for trapped superfluids and propose a simple method to excite Kelvin waves of specific wave number.