Hailey
Hayley is an English given name. It is derived from the English surname Haley, which in turn was based on an Old English toponym, a compound of heg "hay" and leah "clearing or meadow".
- English
Meaning & Origin of Hailey
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Hayley is an English given name. It is derived from the English surname Haley, which in turn was based on an Old English toponym, a compound of heg "hay" and leah "clearing or meadow".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Hailey
American parents first put Hailey on the record books as a baby girl name in 1963, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 8,798 Haileys were born — ranking #26 that year. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 45% of all recorded Haileys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #102 among baby girl names with 2,520 births, falling sharply (-21%). In total, more than 184K Haileys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Hailey
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Hailey. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Hailey
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hailey 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 Hailey
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About the name Hailey
Hailey is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1963 and has accumulated 184K births in the dataset. Hailey's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #19. Use the chart and map above to compare Hailey's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2003 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- 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.