Fun Facts About the Name Cayli
- 459 babies named Cayli: U.S. records list 459 babies given the name Cayli from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Cayli Mean?
Cayli is a modern English spelling of the name more often written Kaylee, Kayley, or Caylee. It is most commonly explained as a compound of the English name element Kay and the ending -lee. Kay is a short form of Katherine, a Greek name (Aikaterine) whose deeper etymology is disputed but which has long been interpreted, by custom rather than by literal translation, as "pure." The second element comes from Old English lēah, meaning "wood, clearing, or meadow," an ending found in many English place names, surnames, and given names. Read as a simple compound, the name means roughly "Katherine's meadow."
A second, competing explanation treats the whole Kaylee group as an anglicization of the Irish name Caollaidhe, from caol, "slender." That origin is well established for the Irish names usually spelled Keeley or Kealy, and some sources extend it to Kaylee and its variants, but the link is not certain. Cayli is a respelling rather than a name with an independent documented history, so its precise derivation remains uncertain.
Cayli Name History & Origins
The elements behind Cayli have separate histories. Kay has been used as an independent English given name since the Middle Ages as a short form of Katherine, a name spread across Europe by devotion to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The -lee ending descends from Old English lēah, which appears in countless English place names and surnames; from the 19th century onward it was used increasingly as a final element in given names, first mainly in boys' names taken from surnames and later in girls' names.
Cayli belongs to a cluster of spellings - Kaylee, Kayley, Kayleigh, Kaylie, Caylee, Cayley - that became established in English-speaking countries during the 20th century. The final -i follows a general American habit of respelling the long e sound at the end of names, as in Laci for Lacey or Maci for Macy. This particular spelling is a recent form; it shares its history with the Kaylee group rather than having a separate origin in Ireland, Scotland, or elsewhere.
How Popular is the Name Cayli?
Cayli has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1999. Its best rank was #4,220 in 1999.
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 | #13,539 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #12,391 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #10,451 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #11,292 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #9,881 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #11,608 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #10,114 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2016 | #11,063 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #11,079 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #7,058 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #11,206 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #9,224 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #12,394 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #12,507 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #8,533 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #5,980 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2007 | #7,144 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #7,560 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #6,060 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #7,149 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2003 | #7,283 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #6,189 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2001 | #6,378 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2000 | #7,664 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #4,220 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #4,991 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1997 | #6,926 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #5,830 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #9,728 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #4,399 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #7,100 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1992 | #8,181 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1991 | #8,067 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #8,600 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #12,697 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #11,567 | 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 Cayli 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 are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Cayli's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cayli's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.