Hailly
A feminine name derived from the French word "hail" meaning "hail" or "icy rain".
Name Census estimates that about 90 living Americans carry the first name Hailly. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hailly today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hailly births was 2004 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hailly. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hailly. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
90
~ 1 in 3,808,382 Americans
Peak year
2004
11 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2012 SSA rank
#17,813
Tracked since 1996
Popularity
Hailly: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hailly from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 69 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hailly 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 Hailly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hailly
The name Hailly is thought to have originated from the Old English language, with roots dating back to the 5th century CE. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "hægl" meaning "hail" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." The combination of these words suggests that Hailly may have initially referred to a person living in a meadow or clearing where hail frequently fell.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hailly can be found in the Domesday Book, a medieval census commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Hailly in the county of Berkshire, England. This provides evidence that the name was in use during the 11th century.
In the 12th century, a monk named Hailly is mentioned in the chronicles of the Abbey of St. Albans. He is noted for his skill in calligraphy and his contributions to the abbey's manuscript collection. This suggests that the name was also used in religious contexts during the Middle Ages.
During the 13th century, a knight named Sir Hailly de Montfort fought alongside Simon de Montfort in the Second Barons' War against King Henry III. He was present at the Battle of Lewes in 1264 and is recorded in contemporary accounts of the conflict.
In the 15th century, a prominent merchant named Hailly Pemberton is mentioned in the records of the city of Bristol, England. He was involved in trade with the continent and is noted for his wealth and influence in the city's affairs.
Another notable figure with the name Hailly was a 16th century playwright and poet from the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Hailly Marlowe, born in 1564, was known for his works such as "The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus" and "The Jew of Malta." He was a contemporary of William Shakespeare and is considered one of the most influential dramatists of the Elizabethan era.
While the name Hailly appears to have originated in England, its use has been documented in other parts of Europe as well. However, its popularity has waned over the centuries, and it is now considered a relatively uncommon name in most regions.
People
Hailly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hailly as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hailly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hailly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 90 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hailly 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 3,808,382 US residents.
Is Hailly a common name?
We classify Hailly as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 91 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hailly most popular?
The single biggest year for Hailly was 2004, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hailly is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hailly a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hailly 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.