Daley
From an Irish surname meaning "descendent of the humble one".
Name Census estimates that about 587 living Americans carry the first name Daley. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 75.3% of registrations being female. The average person named Daley today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Daley births was 2002 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Daley. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
587
~ 1 in 583,909 Americans
Peak year
2002
30 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,082
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Daley
Daley is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 612 total registrations, 151 (24.7%) were male and 461 (75.3%) were female.
Daley as a male name
- Ranked #10,082 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (12 births)
Daley as a female name
- Ranked #15,773 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2002 (24 births)
Popularity
Daley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Daley from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 187 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Daley remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Daley by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Daley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Daleys live
Origin
Meaning and history of Daley
The name Daley has its origins in the Irish language and culture. It is believed to be a variant of the Irish name Dálaigh, which is derived from the word "dáil," meaning "assembly" or "meeting." The name is thought to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as early as the 12th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Daley can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a historical chronicle composed in the 17th century. This text mentions a prominent Irish family named Ó Dálaigh, who were renowned poets and scholars in medieval Ireland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Daley. One of the most famous was Richard J. Daley (1902-1976), who served as the mayor of Chicago from 1955 to 1976. He played a significant role in shaping the city's political landscape and was known for his efforts to revitalize Chicago's infrastructure.
Another prominent figure with the name Daley was William Joseph Daley (1856-1933), a Canadian politician who served as the sixth Premier of the Province of Ontario from 1919 to 1923. He was instrumental in the development of Ontario's hydro-electric power system and the establishment of the province's first labor laws.
In the realm of sports, Brian Daley (1952-1998) was an American professional baseball player who spent most of his career with the Detroit Tigers. He was a member of the Tigers' World Series championship team in 1984.
Moving to the world of literature, Robert Daley (1929-2016) was an American author and journalist best known for his crime novels set in New York City. His works, including "Prince of the City" and "The Innocent," provided insightful explorations of urban life and the complex dynamics of law enforcement.
Finally, in the field of aviation, John S. Daley (1891-1981) was an American pilot and aviation pioneer. He was one of the first pilots hired by the United States Postal Service to fly airmail routes and played a crucial role in the early development of commercial aviation in the United States.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Daley throughout history, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and the diverse accomplishments of those who have borne this name.
People
Daley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Daley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Daley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Daley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 587 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Daley going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 583,909 US residents.
Is Daley a common name?
We classify Daley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 612 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Daley most popular?
The single biggest year for Daley was 2002, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Daley is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Daley a female name?
Yes, 75.3% of people registered as Daley in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.