Declining since 2000, #7,885 for girls today.
Popularity of Kaylea since 1978
Babies named Kaylea per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 14 |
| 1980s | 256 |
| 1990s | 1,086 |
| 2000s | 1,216 |
| 2010s | 453 |
| 2020s | 82 |
Meaning & origin
Kaylea is a modern American invention that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1978, a product of the late-20th-century trend for creating melodic girl names starting with 'K'. It reached its peak rank of 7,885 in 1999, a year when about one in 124,000 newborn girls received the name. Since 2000, its usage has been steadily declining, reflecting a broader shift away from the 'K'-heavy invented names of the 1990s. While Kaylea never broke into the top 1,000 and lacks a recorded presence in any single top state, it remains a recognizable example of the creative naming patterns that defined its era, blending the ever-popular 'K' sound with a soft, feminine ending.
Kaylea is a modern American coinage, first recorded in the 1970s. It appears to be a variant of Kaylee, formed from the popular element Kay (often derived from Katherine or a simple phonetic appeal) combined with the suffix -lee or -lea, which echoes names like Leah. The name saw peak popularity in the late 1990s, reflecting broader trends for invented 'K' names with melodic endings.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Kay, Lea, Kay Kay
Sibling names for Kaylea
Names that share Kaylea's style, for a brother or sister.
