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Halley

♀ Girl

Pronounced HAL-ee /ˈhæl.i/Medium

Meaning: hay meadow / hall clearingMedium

In 30 seconds: Halley is an English name meaning 'hay meadow' or 'hall clearing,' a place-name rooted in the English landscape.

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Origin MediumEnglish

Meaninghay meadow / hall clearing

U.S. rank (2025)#3537 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births43 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1986

Total births (all-time)≈ 4,112

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

From English, Halley carries the meaning 'hay meadow' or 'hall clearing,' a name built from old words for open, worked land. Like many such surnames, it crossed into use as a given name with a soft, friendly sound. The image at its heart is a quiet stretch of meadow or clearing.

Halley moves in two gentle syllables, a familiar sound dressed in a slightly different spelling from the more common Hallie. It stands on its own, drawing on that pastoral 'hay meadow' sense.

Did you know? Halley likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 70%

Behind the Name - Halley — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSVEtymology — Halley — meaning/etymology

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Halley Feiffer (1984-)
American actress, playwright and screenwriter

If you like Halley…

Hallie— A close spelling of Halley with the same soft two-syllable sound.

Haley— Another 'hay meadow' English name closely related to Halley.

Hayley— Shares Halley's 'hay meadow' meaning and place-name roots.

Ashley— A fellow English meadow-and-clearing place name like Halley.

Bailey— Echoes Halley's surname-turned-given-name feel and gentle sound.

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Halley mean?

Halley is usually explained as meaning 'hay clearing' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Halley?

It's commonly said HAL-ee /ˈhæl.i/.

Is Halley a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Halley is used as a girl name.

How popular is Halley?

In 2024, Halley ranked #2720 in the U.S. for girls, with 63 births recorded.