Hayley
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 Hayley
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 Hayley
American parents first put Hayley on the record books as a baby girl name in 1960, with 9 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1993, when 2,618 Hayleys were born — ranking #126 that year. The 1990s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 42% of all recorded Hayleys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,237 among baby girl names with 187 births, falling sharply (-44%). In total, more than 52K Hayleys 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 Hayley
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Hayley. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Hayley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hayley 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 Hayley
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How popular is Hayley in 2026?
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About the name Hayley
Hayley is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1960 and has accumulated 52K births in the dataset. Hayley's peak popularity came in 1993 when it ranked #120. Use the chart and map above to compare Hayley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1993 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- 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.