Kaylee, Kailey, Kaleigh… Which Spelling Is Best?
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Back when I published the first version of this post — using the SSA’s 2012 baby name data — the name Kaylee was the 34th most popular name for U.S. baby girls.
(It’s highest-ever usage had been a few years earlier, in 2009.)
But, while “Kaylee” was the most popular (and perhaps most intuitive?) spelling of the name, it certainly wasn’t the only spelling being used. Other popular variants included…
- Kaylee, 34th (given to 5,625 baby girls)
- Kayleigh, 265th (1,227)
- Kailey, 415th (757)
- Kaylie, 429th (730)
- Kailee, 737th (377)
- Kaleigh, 797th (336)
- Kaley, 1,049th (240)
- Kayley, 1,133rd (217)
- Kayli, 1,500th (149)
- Kaily, 1,865th (108)
And, of course, there were dozens more. Some examples: Kaylei, Kaileigh, Kaili, Kaylea, Kaeli, Kailea, Kaely, Kaeleigh, Kayleigh, Kailie, Kaelee, Kayelee, Kaelie, Kaileah, Kailei, Kayly, Kaeley, Kayliee, and Kayeleigh. (Not to mention all the spellings that start with “C”!)
Which spelling of Kaylee do you prefer? Why?
P.S. A decade later, the entire name-group is not as trendy as it once was. The most popular spelling is still Kaylee, though it now ranks 139th. Kayleigh and Kailey are still in the top 1,000, but Kaylie, Kailee, and Kaleigh have since dropped out.
[Latest update: Jan. 2023]
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I like Caley best.
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I had a good friend in high school named Kaylee, it always seemed like such a bright happy name to me :-) I know it gets a lot of flack for being modern or trendy or what have you, but I still think its a great name.
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I find the whole Kaylee group of names rather insubstantial. Cute, but not a name for a brilliant, independent adult. When I have to write it down, I go with Kaley
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I’d rather vote for none of the above.
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Apparently anything goes, but I would vote for Kaylee as it’s the most intuitive and easiest to explain. Kay + Lee. Some of the spellings, like Kaily, look completely random.
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In my head there is a difference in pronounciation for those that start with Kai-. Those, to me, would be pronounced KYE-lee not KAY-lee.
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Kaley. no unnecessary letters, no turning it into a name smoosh of Kay and Lee.
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I think my name is spelled best (Kaileigh)
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I agree with Kaileigh wahl, we have the best spelling (:
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Wish i made the cut for best spellings :(
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Caeli. Goodness gracious. Do the variations never end?!
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mine is the best :D
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I think Kayleigh is a very nice look of spelling but to way long and Kaylee is way simpler
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In my personal opinion i think the spelling (Kayleigh) is the nicest and the way it looks it very nice and pretty and i like the way its long.
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I love the way my name is spelled but Kaileigh is so pretty too!!!
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How about Kaleagh?
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@Kaleagh C – Your spelling is too rare to have ever appeared in the U.S. data. :)
The cut-off for inclusion is 5 babies per gender, per year. So, in every year on record so far, fewer than 5 babies have been named “Kaleagh.”
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My name is
K-Leigh
Legal spelling and all ????
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My daughter’s name is kayleigh and it is the proper spelling so I’ve been told.
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I hate my name so much. Kaylie. It’s stupid. It has the word lie in it bruh
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I think kayleigh because it is my own name so it it more simple to me
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Well my name is Caylee, I don’t know why ppl think it’s not right to spell it that way.
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I love the way my name is spelled but I think it’s a little short (Kayli). I also like Kaeleigh I love the E in it!
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I like kaylea pronouced (kay lee) it’s unique and different from every one else. But some like to pronounce it kay le ah.
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