Given name & surname
Caley
“one who is lean”
Caley is used as a given name and a surname. One interpretation is “one who is lean.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One interpretation is “one who is lean.”
Where it comes from
Caley is an affectionate form of Calum. An origin associated with Calum is Late Latin. Caley is a variant of Cayla. An origin associated with Cayla is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1928. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Caley through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,632
- 151 boys · 2,481 girls
- Most popular year
- 1994
- 109 babies
- 2025
- 8
- #11,124 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −63%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 8 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 11,124 among girls’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for girls was 109 in 1994. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,485 as a first name in 2020; 1,547 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Caley’s family of names
Caley is an affectionate form of Calum. Caley has a related form in Cayla. Caley has a related form in Cali.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 30
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Calivariant
- Calumfull form
- Caelivariant
- Cayleevariant
- Caleighvariant
- Caileevariant
- Caylavariant
- Cayleighvariant
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Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Similar names
If you love Caley, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kayley
Kayley is a feminine given name.
>99% girls
Shanley
“small and ancient woman” · “an ancient hero”
>99% girls
Cailin
“a young woman; a lass”
>99% girls
Tierney
“one who is regal; lordly”
>99% girls
Kara
“one who is pure” · “dearly loved”
>99% girls
Katelyn
“one who is pure; virginal”
>99% girls
Dacey
“woman.from the South” · “a man from the south”
>99% girls
Kevina
“a beautiful and beloved child” · “a beloved and handsome man”
>99% girls