Fun Facts About the Name Kailey
- More than 27 thousand babies named Kailey: U.S. records list 27,252 babies given the name Kailey from 1880 through 2025. Even 10 boys received the name Kailey - about 1 boy for every 2,724 girls.
What Does the Name Kailey Mean?
Kailey is a modern feminine name used mainly in English-speaking countries. It is generally treated as a variant spelling of Kaylee or Kayley, and no single ancient meaning is securely documented for it. One common explanation analyzes the name as a combination of Kay, a short form of Katherine (from Greek Aikaterine, of uncertain origin though long linked by folk etymology to Greek katharos, "pure"), and the ending -lee or -ley, from Old English lēah, "woodland, clearing, or meadow." On that reading, the literal sense would be something like "pure meadow," but this is a modern construction from name parts rather than an inherited ancient meaning. A separate explanation sometimes connects the sound and spelling to Irish Cadhla, meaning "beautiful" or "comely," or to Gaelic caol, "slender." Those Irish derivations are more commonly discussed for related names such as Kayley and Kayla, and their application to Kailey specifically is uncertain. Because the name is a spelling variant within a modern cluster, its meaning is best described as uncertain.
Kailey Name History & Origins
Kailey belongs to a group of English feminine names that share the pronunciation KAY-lee, including Kaylee, Kayley, Kayleigh, Kaley, and Kaylie. These forms are generally treated as modern English formations rather than as descendants of a single older name. Their components are familiar: the short form Kay, ultimately from Katherine, and the common surname or place-name element -lee/-ley, from Old English lēah. The spelling Kayleigh is familiar from the title of Marillion's 1985 song "Kayleigh," a well-known later use of one variant; this is a cultural association, not evidence that the song created the name. Kailey itself is a respelling within the same family, and its history is largely orthographic: it developed as one of several ways to write the KAY-lee sound in the late 20th century. Irish names such as Cadhla are sometimes proposed as sources for related spellings, but that connection is not securely documented for Kailey. Its development is therefore tied to the modern spelling variations of that group.
How Popular is the Name Kailey?
Kailey recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2004. Its best rank was #228 in 2004.
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 | #1,420 | 153 | 0.0095% |
| 2024 | #1,284 | 180 | 0.0112% |
| 2023 | #1,094 | 225 | 0.0140% |
| 2022 | #1,014 | 256 | 0.0156% |
| 2021 | #961 | 271 | 0.0165% |
| 2020 | #847 | 322 | 0.0199% |
| 2019 | #800 | 346 | 0.0206% |
| 2018 | #685 | 427 | 0.0251% |
| 2017 | #656 | 454 | 0.0263% |
| 2016 | #595 | 507 | 0.0286% |
| 2015 | #531 | 587 | 0.0329% |
| 2014 | #476 | 664 | 0.0372% |
| 2013 | #452 | 671 | 0.0382% |
| 2012 | #415 | 757 | 0.0430% |
| 2011 | #355 | 906 | 0.0515% |
| 2010 | #384 | 834 | 0.0469% |
| 2009 | #330 | 999 | 0.0544% |
| 2008 | #309 | 1,083 | 0.0573% |
| 2007 | #287 | 1,178 | 0.0613% |
| 2006 | #258 | 1,275 | 0.0671% |
| 2005 | #251 | 1,298 | 0.0702% |
| 2004 | #228 | 1,439 | 0.0784% |
| 2003 | #246 | 1,331 | 0.0728% |
| 2002 | #284 | 1,093 | 0.0608% |
| 2001 | #288 | 1,090 | 0.0605% |
| 2000 | #305 | 1,050 | 0.0578% |
| 1999 | #294 | 1,048 | 0.0591% |
| 1998 | #279 | 1,114 | 0.0630% |
| 1997 | #351 | 789 | 0.0453% |
| 1996 | #369 | 730 | 0.0416% |
| 1995 | #391 | 676 | 0.0384% |
| 1994 | #434 | 583 | 0.0326% |
| 1993 | #436 | 573 | 0.0317% |
| 1992 | #465 | 529 | 0.0287% |
| 1991 | #566 | 412 | 0.0220% |
| 1990 | #603 | 376 | 0.0198% |
| 1989 | #662 | 308 | 0.0167% |
| 1988 | #811 | 226 | 0.0127% |
| 1987 | #956 | 169 | 0.0097% |
| 1986 | #1,025 | 148 | 0.0086% |
| 1985 | #1,500 | 82 | 0.0048% |
| 1984 | #3,013 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1983 | #4,183 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1982 | #5,697 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1981 | #7,046 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #11,094 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #8,829 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #8,579 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | #7,264 | 10 | 0.0005% |
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.
Explore More Lists with Name Kailey
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with K
How the Name Kailey Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Kailey's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kailey's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.