Halley: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#3,537

among girls · ↓806 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Halley · -32% vs 2024

How common

1 in 37,378

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1986

355 babies

All-time total

4,238

#2,933 all-time among girls

First recorded

1910

in Social Security records

Halley popularity over time

4,238 babies have been named Halley since 1910, 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

GirlsBoys

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	Boys	Total	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–	–	–
1910s	16	39	55	6	–	#1,462
1920s	7	15	22	2	-60%	#4,190
1930s	–	17	17	2	-23%	–
1940s	5	17	22	2	+29%	#4,946
1950s	7	6	13	1	-41%	#5,082
1960s	46	–	46	5	+254%	#3,678
1970s	126	–	126	13	+174%	#3,522
1980s	757	32	789	79	+526%	#580
1990s	1,314	–	1,314	131	+67%	#1,054
2000s	1,110	–	1,110	111	-16%	#1,135
2010s	450	–	450	45	-59%	#2,918
2020s (to 2025)	274	–	274	46	+1%	#2,731

Where Halley 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	45	0.03	outside top 500
2027	47	0.03	outside top 500
2028	48	0.03	outside top 500
2029	49	0.03	outside top 500
2030	50	0.03	outside top 500

The story of Halley

Halley is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,537 in 2025 with 43 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1910, 4,238 American babies have been named Halley. Its peak came in 1986, when 355 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

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 Halley stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Halley?

The median living Halley is about 27 years old; half are between 19 and 35. An estimated 4,100 people named Halley 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.

Halley year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank	Boys	Boys rank
2025	43	#3,537	–	–
2024	63	#2,731	–	–
2023	49	#3,292	–	–
2022	47	#3,382	–	–
2021	37	#3,961	–	–
2020	35	#4,044	–	–
2019	43	#3,574	–	–
2018	40	#3,755	–	–
2017	42	#3,655	–	–
2016	32	#4,461	–	–
2015	43	#3,620	–	–
2014	41	#3,741	–	–
2013	47	#3,376	–	–
2012	52	#3,186	–	–
2011	51	#3,239	–	–
2010	59	#2,918	–	–
2009	61	#2,864	–	–
2008	82	#2,362	–	–
2007	78	#2,425	–	–
2006	94	#2,086	–	–
2005	92	#2,035	–	–
2004	113	#1,720	–	–
2003	142	#1,399	–	–
2002	122	#1,550	–	–
2001	146	#1,317	–	–
2000	180	#1,135	–	–
1995	162	#1,097	–	–
1990	63	#2,087	–	–
1985	146	#1,033	10	#4,166
1980	15	#4,808	–	–
1975	10	#5,671	–	–
1970	9	#5,543	–	–
1965	–	–	–	–
1960	–	–	–	–
1955	–	–	–	–
1950	–	–	–	–
1945	–	–	–	–
1940	–	–	–	–
1935	–	–	–	–
1930	–	–	–	–
1925	7	#4,190	–	–
1920	–	–	–	–
1915	5	#4,562	–	–
1910	11	#1,462	12	#951
1905	–	–	–	–
1900	–	–	–	–
1895	–	–	–	–
1890	–	–	–	–
1885	–	–	–	–
1880	–	–	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Halley?

The median living Halley is about 27 years old. Half of all living Halleys are between 19 and 35 years old.

How many people named Halley are alive today?

An estimated 4,100 people named Halley are alive in the United States, based on 4,238 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Halley mean?

Halley is a unisex given name.

How popular is the name Halley in 2025?

Halley ranked #3,537 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 43 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Halley?

4,238 babies have been named Halley in the United States since 1910, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Halley most popular?

Halley peaked in 1986, when 355 newborns received the name.

Is Halley a boy or girl name?

Halley is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 97% of babies with the name.

Is the name Halley rising or falling?

Halley is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Halley become more popular?

Halley is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 50 girls named Halley in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Halley

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

Compare Halley with similar names → More names starting with H →