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Hayley

♀ Girl

Pronounced HAY-lee /ˈheɪ.li/High

Meaning: Hay clearing or hay meadow; from Old English haeg (hay) + leah (clearing, meadow)High

In 30 seconds: An English place-name surname meaning 'hay clearing,' one of the most popular girls' names of the 1980s–1990s. Associated with actress Hayley Mills, who made the name fashionable in the early 1960s.

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Origin HighEnglish

MeaningHay clearing or hay meadow; from Old English haeg (hay) + leah (clearing, meadow)

U.S. rank (2025)#1251 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births179 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1993

Total births (all-time)≈ 51,402

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

Hayley is an English place-name surname, from Old English haeg (hay) and leah (clearing or meadow). It was used as a given name primarily after the rise of actress Hayley Mills in the early 1960s.

Hayley entered the U.S. top 100 in the 1990s and peaked in 1993. It has declined since then, ranking #1068 for girls in 2024.

Did you know? Hayley Mills starred in Pollyanna (1960) and The Parent Trap (1961) at ages 14 and 15 — her youth, charm, and Disney stardom made her name a phenomenon, and Hayley became a fixture of the U.S. charts within years.

Overall data confidence 88%

Behind the Name — Hayley — Old English etymology and Hayley Mills historyU.S. Social Security Administration — popularity data

Variations

HaleyHaileyHaileeHayleigh

Nicknames

Hay

Famous Bearers

★Hayley Mills (1946–present)
British actress who starred in the Disney films Pollyanna (1960) and The Parent Trap (1961) as a teenager, winning a special juvenile Academy Award. She helped popularize the name Hayley.

If you like Hayley…

Haley— the most common alternate spelling of the same name

Hailey— another popular alternate spelling

Bailey— rhyming -ailey name from the same 1990s naming wave

Marley— two-syllable -arley name with the same breezy feel

Ashley— two-syllable -ley name that dominated the same 1980s–90s era

Explore names like Hayley

By themeenglish classic place-name surname-style

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Hayley mean?

Hayley means 'hay clearing' or 'hay meadow,' from Old English haeg (hay) and leah (clearing).

How do you pronounce Hayley?

It's said HAY-lee — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Hayley a boy or girl name?

Hayley is used as a girls' name.

How popular is Hayley?

Hayley ranked #1068 for U.S. girls in 2024.