Halley is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Halley means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Halley across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Halley has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Halley is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “hay meadow”. An English surname from heg (hay) and leah (clearing); also linked to the comet.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 4,238 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 86 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Halley per year, United States (1910 to 2025). United States peaked in 1986 (355/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2020 (18/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2019 (3/yr).
Halley is an uncommon baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1986, when it ranked #1,022 nationally (given to 355 babies that year).
Haley · Hailey · Holly · Hayley · Hallie · Haylee · Halle · Hollie
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →