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Cayley
Pronounced KAY-lee /ˈkeɪ.li/High
Meaning: A modern given-name spelling in the large Kaylee/Kayleigh family, whose exact origins are debated - links to Kay, to Irish Ceallach and to Kelly are all proposed. Cayley is separately a real English surname, borne by the mathematician Arthur Cayley.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Cayley works two ways. As a girls' name it belongs to the Kaylee, Kayleigh and Kayley family, a group of modern coinages whose roots are debated - Kay, Irish Ceallach and Kelly have all been proposed, without agreement. As a surname it is English and well known through Arthur Cayley, the nineteenth-century mathematician. Routes are uncertain, which we note (said 'KAY-lee').
It appears only in very small numbers in this spelling. Rare, bright, and surname-adjacent.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Cayley mean?
Cayley is a spelling in the Kaylee family and an English surname, borne by the mathematician Arthur Cayley.
How do you pronounce Cayley?
It's said KAY-lee /ˈkeɪ.li/ - two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Cayley a boy or girl name?
Cayley is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Cayley?
Cayley is extremely rare in the U.S.