Halsey
A gender-neutral name of uncertain origin and meaning, potentially relating to a place name.
Name Census estimates that about 615 living Americans carry the first name Halsey. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 55.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Halsey today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Halsey births was 2021 (51 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Halsey. 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
- • Halsey started out as a boys' name but over the decades crossed over and is now given to girls far more often.
People living today
615
~ 1 in 557,324 Americans
Peak year
2021
51 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,455
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Halsey
Halsey is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 921 total registrations, 413 (44.8%) were male and 508 (55.2%) were female.
Halsey as a male name
- Ranked #12,913 in 2024
- 5 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1924 (18 births)
Halsey as a female name
- Ranked #3,455 in 2024
- 45 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (51 births)
Popularity
Halsey: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Halsey from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 14 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 215 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Halsey 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 Halsey during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Halseys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Nebraska, California, New York recorded the most babies named Halsey, while Utah, Texas, New Jersey recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 11 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Halsey
The name Halsey is an English surname that has its origins in the village of Halse in Somerset, England. It is derived from the Old English words "halh" meaning a nook or corner of land, and "eg" meaning an island or dry ground in a marsh or fen. The name was initially used to denote someone who lived near a piece of dry ground surrounded by marshes or fens.
The earliest recorded use of the name Halsey as a given name dates back to the 16th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Thomas Halsey, an English politician and soldier who lived from 1555 to 1615. He served as a Member of Parliament for Lyme Regis and was knighted by King James I in 1603.
Another notable historical figure with the name Halsey was Jeremiah Halsey, an American colonial leader and surveyor who lived from 1678 to 1753. He was one of the founders of Southampton, Long Island, and served as the town's first clerk and surveyor.
In the 18th century, Sir Henry Halsey (1736-1801) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. He rose to the rank of Admiral and was knighted for his distinguished service.
During the 19th century, Halsey was the first name of the American lawyer and politician Halsey Wing (1802-1888), who served as a member of the New York State Assembly and was a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement.
In more recent history, one of the most famous individuals with the name Halsey was William Frederick Halsey Jr. (1882-1959), an American naval officer who played a pivotal role in the Pacific theater of World War II. He was a five-star admiral and commanded several major naval operations, including the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history.
While the name Halsey has its roots in England and was initially used as a surname, it has gained popularity as a given name, particularly in the United States, over the past few centuries. The name has been borne by several notable individuals throughout history, and its association with military leaders and public figures has likely contributed to its enduring use.
People
Halsey + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Halsey 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
Halsey: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Halsey?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 615 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Halsey 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 557,324 US residents.
Is Halsey a common name?
We classify Halsey as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 921 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Halsey most popular?
The single biggest year for Halsey was 2021, when 51 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Halsey is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Halsey a female name?
Yes, 55.2% of people registered as Halsey 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.