Hayley

Hayley
Pronunciation ˈheɪli
Gender Female
Origin
Word/Name Old English or Old Norse
Meaning "hay clearing" or "heroine"
Region of origin England
Other names
Related names Haley, Hailey, Halley, Hali, Halie

Hayley ( /ˈheɪli/) is a given name. It was adopted from the English surname, which is based on a place name derived from Old English heg "hay" and ley "clearing or meadow",[1] but many sources accept that it was also separately derived from the Old Norse word haela meaning "hero".[2][3] While it can be used for males[4], Hayley is most commonly a female given name. This use became popular due to actress Hayley Mills' celebrity,[1] resulting in Hayley becoming one of the top 1500 female names in the US today.[5]

There are many variations of Hayley, including Haeli, Haelli, Hailee, Hailey, Haylie, Hailie, Hailly, Halee, Haleigh, Haley, Hali, Halie, Haliey, Halii, Halley, Haly, Haylea, Haylee, Hayly and Hayleigh.

Contents

Notable people with the given name

Actors

Athletes

Musicians

Reality TV entertainers

Miscellaneous

Fictional characters with the given name

References

  1. ^ a b Katie Martin-Doyle, The Treasury of Baby Names, Worth Press, Cambridge 2005. ISBN 978-1903025116
  2. ^ About.com
  3. ^ Think Baby Names
  4. ^ Baby Name Guide
  5. ^ Name Statistics

See also