The first name Hayley
A girl’s name from English meaning “hay”, “wood”, “clearing”.
Pronounced /ˈheɪli/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Hayley means “hay”, “wood”, “clearing” in English.
Localities in England, from Old English hēg (“hay”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”). Equivalent to hay + -ley (“lea”).
More names that mean forest.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 83 girls were named Hayley, making it the 478th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 1,088 births (#57).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Hayley with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Hayley at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 179 girls born in the United States were named Hayley, the 1,251st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1993, when 2,618 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Hayley
27 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Hayley WilliamsAmerican singer, born 1988
- Hayley AtwellEnglish and American actress (born 1982)
- Hayley KiyokoAmerican actress and singer (born 1991)
- Hayley MillsBritish actress (born 1946)
- Hayley WickenheiserCanadian ice hockey and softball player, born 1978
- Hayley McFarlandAmerican actress, born 1991
- Hayley RasoAustralian soccer player, born 1994
- Hayley ArceneauxAmerican private astronaut, born 1991
- Hayley OrrantiaAmerican actress, singer, and songwriter, born 1994
- Hayley LewisAustralian swimmer, Olympic silver medallist, world champion, born 1974
- Hayley CarterAmerican tennis player, born 1995
- Hayley LawCanadian film and television actress, born 1992
More English girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Hayley mean?
- Hayley means “hay”, “wood”, “clearing” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Hayley?
- Localities in England, from Old English hēg (“hay”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”). Equivalent to hay + -ley (“lea”).
- How popular is the name Hayley?
- In 2025, 83 girls born in England and Wales were named Hayley, ranking 478th. Its peak was 1996, with 1,088 births.
- Is Hayley a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 51,449 US babies named Hayley since 1880 were girls.
- When was Hayley most popular?
- 1993 in the United States, when 2,618 babies were named Hayley, its highest rank at 126th.
- How do you pronounce Hayley?
- Hayley is /ˈheɪli/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Hayley?
- Hailey, Haley, Hailie, Haylee, Hayleigh and Haylie.
- Is Hayley also a surname?
- Yes. Hayley is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.