Kayley
Kayley is a girl's name of Greek origin.
Meaning
Pure, or slim and slender, depending on whether derived from Katherine or Irish roots.
Origin and history
Kayley is a modern phonetic spelling variation of Kaylee, influenced by the classic name Katherine and Gaelic names like Ceallach. It gained popularity in the United States during the late 20th century along with the trend of names ending in -ley. Today, it remains a familiar and friendly contemporary choice for girls.
Popularity in the United States
8,586 babies in the United States have been named Kayley since 1880. It ranks #1810 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1737.
States where it is most popular
- CA (16.3 %)
- TX (9.3 %)
- FL (6.5 %)
- OH (5.5 %)
- NY (5.2 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 0 |
| 1920-1930 | 0 |
| 1930-1940 | 0 |
| 1940-1950 | 0 |
| 1950-1960 | 0 |
| 1960-1970 | 0 |
| 1970-1980 | 5 |
| 1980-1990 | 476 |
| 1990-2000 | 2,559 |
| 2000-2010 | 3,679 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,503 |
| 2020-2029 | 364 |
Nicknames
Kay, Kay-Kay, Lee
Fun facts
- Kayley emerged as part of the late-20th-century trend of creating phonetic variants using the popular '-ley' suffix.
- The spelling Kayley reached its highest popularity in the United States during the late 1990s and early 2000s.