How to say it
KAY · lee
/ˈkeɪ.li/
Feminine
Kaylee
A modern blend
What it means
A modern American name, the popular Kay- sound joined to the -lee ending; it loosely echoes the Irish ceilidh, a music gathering.
Kaylee is a name the 1990s built, fusing the fashionable Kay- opening (as in Kayla) with the bouncy -lee ending shared by Hailey and Bailey. There's no ancient root, though it happens to echo the Irish ceilidh, a lively gathering with music and dance. It reads bright, friendly, and of its moment, and runs in a dozen spellings from Kayleigh to Caylee. A signature millennial-era name.
Popularity over time
peaked at #26 in 2009, currently #255 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
Spellings run wide: Kaylee, Kaylie, Kayleigh, Caylee.
- Pop culture
A coinage of the 1990s -ley naming wave with Bailey and Hailey.
Spelling variants
- Kaylie
- Kayleigh
- Caylee
Names with the same feeling
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