Cailey
Kailey is a modern English feminine first name. It is a spelling variant of Kaylee that became popular in the US following the release of the British rock group Marillion's song "Kayleigh" in 1985.
Meaning & Origin of Cailey
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kailey is a modern English feminine first name. It is a spelling variant of Kaylee that became popular in the US following the release of the British rock group Marillion's song "Kayleigh" in 1985.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Cailey
Cailey first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1984, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1999, when 198 Caileys were born — ranking #1,028 that year. As of 2026, Cailey ranks #5,380 for baby girls with 23 births, falling sharply (-42%). In total, more than 4K Caileys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Cailey
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Kailey Leila , Canadian-born Guyanese footballer
- Kailey Willis , Maltese footballer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Cailey
Phonetically similar names — useful when Cailey is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cailey
What does the name Cailey mean?
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In which U.S. states is Cailey most popular?
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About the name Cailey
Cailey is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 4K births in the dataset. Cailey's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #1,024. Use the chart and map above to compare Cailey's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1999 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.