Hayley

Hayley began as an English surname derived from a place name, with elements referring to hay and a clearing or meadow. Its meaning describes a landscape, rather than a personal quality. The spelling belongs to the same broad family as Haley and Hailey, which can sound identical in English while preserving different surname and spelling histories.

Actor Hayley Mills helped make the name widely recognizable as a girl’s first name; her name came from a family surname. That example explains an important part of its modern visibility without implying that no one had used it earlier. Hayley’s surname origins also account for occasional use for boys, even though many English-speaking readers associate it primarily with girls.