Total births
1,213
Girls' name · since 1984
Cayley
Since 1984, U.S. Social Security records show 1,213 babies named Cayley, peaking in 1998. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #15871
- among girls today
- 1,213
- born since 1984
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 10%
- more common than other girls
1,213 babies have been named Cayley since 1984, making it today's #15871 girls' name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cayley has been recorded 1,213 times among girls since 1984, currently ranked #15871 nationally and more common than 10% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2000s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1984 to 2025.
- #15871 among girls today
- 1,213 born since 1984
- 2000s peak decade
- 10% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Cayley is currently the #15871 girls' name in America, more common than 10% of girls - 1,213 born since 1984, peaking in the 2000s.
- #15871
- among girls today
- 1,213
- born since 1984
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 10%
- more common than other girls
Cayley vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15871
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 10% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Cayley was born in this single decade.
1998
Single peak year
75 babies were named Cayley in 1998 - its busiest year on record.
How Cayley compares
1,213 Top 29% higher than 71% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cayley's all-time total is 3x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cayley | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,213 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 75 | 48 | 19,840 |
Cayley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Cayley's full recorded timeline at 2005, 38% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 62% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1985, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1998 peak of 75 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Cayley at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1998
Current rank
#15,871
Active since
1984
Cayley popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1984–2025
- Peak year (1998)
- 75
- Annual births at peak, across 42 years of records
Cayley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Cayley's strongest decade.
482 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Cayley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 47
1980s
47 births
- 1990s
1990s
461 births
- 2000s
2000s
482 births
- 2010s 178
2010s
178 births
- 2020s 45
2020s
45 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 482 births (40% of all-time use).
How Cayley compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Cayley's total volume
Cayley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Cayley by state
Where Cayley concentrates geographically, total births since 1984
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 71 | 5.9% |
| #2 | Texas | | 47 | 3.9% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 19 | 1.6% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 12 | 1.0% |
| #5 | Florida | | 11 | 0.9% |
| #6 | New York | | 7 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.4% |
California share of Cayley's total US births 5.9%
Even split
71 of 1,213 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Cayley appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Cayley? ▼
Since 1984, Social Security records show 1,213 babies named Cayley. Today it holds rank #15871 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1998, with 75 births.
When was Cayley most popular? ▼
Cayley was most popular in the 2000s decade with 482 total births. The single peak year was 1998.
Where is Cayley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Cayley are California (71 births), Texas (47 births), Ohio (19 births).
How long has the name Cayley been used? ▼
Cayley has been recorded in Social Security data since 1984, spanning 42 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Cayley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Cayla, Caylee, Caydence, Caylin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Cayley's data
- Cayley's decade-level peak was the 2000s (482 total births); usage has since declined to 45 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Cayleys (71 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cayley
Nearby Names Like Cayley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cayley
Cayla Girl
#3841 10,853 births
Caylee Girl
#1917 9,769 births
Caydence Girl
#4276 3,588 births
Caylin Girl
#7030 2,471 births
Cayleigh Girl
#4719 2,297 births
Compare Cayley side by side: Cayley vs Cayla Cayley vs Caylee Cayley vs Caydence
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cayley
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1984–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Cayley: #15871 Girls' Name - 1,213 Births, Peak 1998." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/cayley. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cayley draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.