Ailey: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,104

among girls · ↑346 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Ailey · +9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 64,291

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2008

71 babies

All-time total

969

#7,678 all-time among girls

First recorded

1992

in Social Security records

Ailey popularity over time

969 babies have been named Ailey since 1992, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	–	–	–	–
1980s	–	–	–	–
1990s	30	3	–	#10,365
2000s	302	30	+907%	#2,610
2010s	499	50	+65%	#2,693
2020s (to 2025)	138	23	-54%	#4,966

Where Ailey is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	23	0.01	outside top 500
2027	22	0.01	outside top 500
2028	21	0.01	outside top 500
2029	20	0.01	outside top 500
2030	19	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Ailey

Ailey is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,104 in 2025 with 25 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1992, 969 American babies have been named Ailey. Its peak came in 2008, when 71 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Ailey stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Ailey?

The median living Ailey is about 13 years old; half are between 8 and 17. An estimated 1,000 people named Ailey are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Ailey year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	25	#5,104
2024	23	#5,450
2023	16	#6,936
2022	24	#5,315
2021	26	#4,966
2020	24	#5,171
2019	40	#3,719
2018	42	#3,614
2017	25	#5,191
2016	61	#2,799
2015	52	#3,178
2014	45	#3,488
2013	54	#3,044
2012	54	#3,096
2011	60	#2,869
2010	66	#2,693
2009	70	#2,616
2008	71	#2,610
2007	41	#3,849
2006	31	#4,576
2005	19	#6,254
2004	19	#6,226
2003	16	#6,892
2002	14	#7,454
2001	11	#8,770
2000	10	#9,174
1995	–	–
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	–	–
1975	–	–
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Ailey, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Ailey?

The median living Ailey is about 13 years old. Half of all living Aileys are between 8 and 17 years old.

How many people named Ailey are alive today?

An estimated 1,000 people named Ailey are alive in the United States, based on 969 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Ailey in 2025?

Ailey ranked #5,104 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 25 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Ailey?

969 babies have been named Ailey in the United States since 1992, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Ailey most popular?

Ailey peaked in 2008, when 71 newborns received the name.

Is Ailey a boy or girl name?

Ailey is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Ailey rising or falling?

Ailey is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Ailey become more popular?

Ailey is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 19 girls named Ailey in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Ailey

Names that sound and feel close to Ailey: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Ailey with similar names → More names starting with A →