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Halsey

♀ Girl

Pronounced HAWL-zee /ˈhɔl.zi/High

Meaning: From an English surname and place name, variously derived as 'hallowed island', 'Hals's island', or 'neck of land'Low

In 30 seconds: A Brooklyn street, a World War II admiral, and a pop star walk into a name: Halsey is an English island-surname that music made feminine. The singer built hers as an anagram of Ashley.

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Origin MediumEnglish, American

MeaningFrom an English surname and place name, variously derived as 'hallowed island', 'Hals's island', or 'neck of land'

U.S. rank (2025)#4105 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births35 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2021

Total births (all-time)≈ 543

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

Halsey is an English surname from place names parsed variously as 'hallowed island', 'Hals's island', or a 'neck' of land — etymologists disagree. America knows it through Fleet Admiral William 'Bull' Halsey of the Pacific war and, since the 2010s, through the singer Halsey, whose anagrammed stage name pulled the surname toward girls.

As a girls' given name it is a recent, rare adoption riding both the surname trend and the star's fame. It reads salty, urban, and slightly mythic — an island name for landlocked kids.

Did you know? The pop star Halsey took her stage name from Halsey Street in Brooklyn — and it happens to be a perfect anagram of her given name, Ashley.

Overall data confidence 68%

Dictionary of American Family Names — Halsey — surname origins, debated

Variations

HalsyHallsey

Nicknames

HalHallie

Famous Bearers

★Halsey (1994-)
American singer-songwriter (born Ashley Frangipane)

If you like Halsey…

Hallie— the warm H-nickname adjacent in sound

Presley— a fellow musician-burnished surname for girls

Monroe— another celebrity-glossed surname pick

Lennox— shares the modern surname-cool register

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Halsey mean?

Halsey comes from an English surname variously derived as 'hallowed island', 'Hals's island', or 'neck of land' — the etymology is debated.

How do you pronounce Halsey?

It's said HAWL-zee /ˈhɔl.zi/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Halsey a boy or girl name?

Halsey is used for both sexes; recent use leans toward girls, and this page covers that use.

How popular is Halsey?

Halsey is a rare name in the U.S., nudged by the pop star's fame.