Fun Facts About the Name Caylee
- More than 9 thousand babies named Caylee: U.S. records list 9,766 babies given the name Caylee from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Caylee Mean?
Caylee is an English given name, a spelling variant of Kaylee (also spelled Kayley, Kayleigh, and Kailee). It combines the short form Kay, a diminutive of Katherine, with the ending -lee. The meaning of Kay itself is not securely known. The traditional explanation of Katherine links it to the Greek katharos, "pure," but the name's ultimate origin is disputed, so that sense cannot be applied to Caylee with confidence.
The ending -lee comes from Old English lēah, meaning "woodland, clearing, meadow," the same element found in the surname and place name Lee and in Leigh. In names such as Kaylee and Caylee this element acts as a combining ending rather than a description of a real place, so Caylee has no single documented literal meaning beyond the sense of its parts.
Caylee Name History & Origins
Caylee belongs to a group of English-language girls' names ending in -lee, -ley, or -leigh that became common in the later twentieth century. The parent form, Kaylee, was built by attaching that ending to the established short name Kay. Because the ending entered given names through surnames and place names, several spellings - Kaylee, Kayley, Kayleigh, Caylee - were used side by side rather than in a single fixed form.
The spelling Caylee is a modern re-spelling that keeps the pronunciation of Kaylee while using C instead of K and a y in the middle. That places it among the respelled American versions of the name rather than a separate name with an older tradition of its own. A competing explanation traces the Kaylee group to the Irish name Cadhla, but the English Kay plus -lee structure fits Caylee more directly, and no single origin is settled.
Caylee drew wide public notice in 2008 through news coverage of the death of Caylee Anthony in Florida, which made the spelling familiar to many people who had not met it before.
How Popular is the Name Caylee?
Caylee recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2009. Its best rank was #264 in 2009.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,200 | 84 | 0.0052% |
| 2024 | #1,921 | 103 | 0.0064% |
| 2023 | #1,636 | 127 | 0.0079% |
| 2022 | #1,456 | 152 | 0.0093% |
| 2021 | #1,223 | 192 | 0.0117% |
| 2020 | #1,121 | 215 | 0.0133% |
| 2019 | #1,162 | 206 | 0.0123% |
| 2018 | #1,108 | 222 | 0.0131% |
| 2017 | #975 | 269 | 0.0156% |
| 2016 | #918 | 300 | 0.0169% |
| 2015 | #847 | 331 | 0.0185% |
| 2014 | #678 | 419 | 0.0235% |
| 2013 | #597 | 476 | 0.0271% |
| 2012 | #497 | 621 | 0.0353% |
| 2011 | #444 | 696 | 0.0396% |
| 2010 | #523 | 569 | 0.0320% |
| 2009 | #264 | 1,247 | 0.0679% |
| 2008 | #513 | 600 | 0.0317% |
| 2007 | #1,019 | 259 | 0.0135% |
| 2006 | #1,063 | 240 | 0.0126% |
| 2005 | #1,061 | 225 | 0.0122% |
| 2004 | #1,180 | 190 | 0.0103% |
| 2003 | #1,169 | 185 | 0.0101% |
| 2002 | #1,061 | 201 | 0.0112% |
| 2001 | #1,161 | 179 | 0.0099% |
| 2000 | #1,098 | 187 | 0.0103% |
| 1999 | #1,072 | 187 | 0.0105% |
| 1998 | #1,095 | 176 | 0.0100% |
| 1997 | #1,215 | 148 | 0.0085% |
| 1996 | #1,298 | 133 | 0.0076% |
| 1995 | #1,606 | 93 | 0.0053% |
| 1994 | #1,567 | 98 | 0.0055% |
| 1993 | #1,818 | 80 | 0.0044% |
| 1992 | #2,244 | 59 | 0.0032% |
| 1991 | #2,297 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 1990 | #2,320 | 54 | 0.0028% |
| 1989 | #2,720 | 41 | 0.0022% |
| 1988 | #2,096 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 1987 | #2,859 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 1986 | #2,738 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 1985 | #6,534 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #8,292 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #10,612 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Caylee Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Caylee's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Caylee's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.