Haley
Meaninghay clearing · English
- US rank
- #861
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #28 in 2000
314 babies were named Haley in the US in 2025. It has dropped 347 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1890–2025
US births per million boys, 1916–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Haley you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Haley
Haley Joel Osment
American actor
Choose Haley and your child shares a first name with Haley Joel Osment, an American actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Haley, like who?” Haley Joel Osment's Wikipedia article is available in 55 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Haley Joel Osment on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 5,118 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Haley, 314 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Haley would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryHaley first shows up in US birth records in 1890, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 135 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 2000, when it ranked #28. Today it's #861, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowHaley was 26× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 200 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 5,118.
- TrendHaley has slipped 347 places over the last five years and now sits at #861. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- Where it's lovedHaley is most popular in North Dakota, where it ranks #195, followed by Connecticut (#322) and Nebraska (#396). It's in the top 1,000 in 25 states.
- MeaningIn English, Haley means “hay clearing”.
About the name Haley
Haley is a girl name of Irish origin meaning “hay clearing”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with H and ending in “-ley”. US birth records list Haley for girls from 1890 to 2025, in 105 of those 136 years. Its best year was 2000, when it ranked #28 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #861, with 314 babies.
Origin:Irish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 21 | 48,100 girls |
| 1900s | 11 | 93,809 girls |
| 1910s | 9.2 | 108,225 girls |
| 1920s | 6.5 | 154,799 girls |
| 1930s | 3.0 | 327,869 girls |
| 1940s | 1.5 | 649,351 girls |
| 1950s | 0.6 | 1,612,903 girls |
| 1960s | 22 | 46,296 girls |
| 1970s | 142 | 7,047 girls |
| 1980s | 735 | 1,361 girls |
| 1990s | 3,985 | 251 girls |
| 2000s | 3,107 | 322 girls |
| 2010s | 734 | 1,363 girls |
| 2020s | 281 | 3,562 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 6.2 | 160,643 boys |
| 1920s | 4.8 | 207,039 boys |
| 1930s | 2.9 | 348,432 boys |
| 1940s | 2.5 | 396,825 boys |
| 1950s | 1.7 | 591,716 boys |
| 1960s | 1.1 | 869,565 boys |
| 1970s | 1.9 | 523,560 boys |
| 1980s | 7.6 | 131,062 boys |
| 1990s | 12 | 81,103 boys |
| 2000s | 9.9 | 101,010 boys |
| 2010s | 1.4 | 727,273 boys |
Other spellings of Haley
More Irish girl names
- Girl name: Abigail · my father is joy
- Unisex name: Riley · rye clearing
- Girl name: Maeve · she who intoxicates
- Unisex name: Kennedy · helmeted head
- Unisex name: Rylee · rye clearing
- Unisex name: Sloane · raider
- Unisex name: Alani · orange tree
- Girl name: Everleigh · boar clearing
Questions about the name Haley
What does the name Haley mean?
Haley means “hay clearing” in English.
What is the origin of the name Haley?
Haley has Irish roots in our records. Other Irish names include Abigail, Riley, Maeve.
Is Haley a boy or girl name?
Haley is a girl name.
How popular is the name Haley?
Haley ranked #861 for US girls in 2025, given to 314 babies. Its best year was 2000 (#28).