Cayley

Cayley is an English surname-turned-given name derived from a Norman French place name, ultimately tracing to the Old Norse elements kál, meaning cabbage, and leah, an Old English word for a woodland clearing or meadow, suggesting a settlement where wild cabbage grew. Its use as a first name follows the common English pattern of adopting family names as personal names. The mathematician Arthur Cayley, a prominent 19th-century British figure known for his work in algebra, helped keep the name recognizable, though it remains more commonly a surname than a given name. Related forms include Kayleigh, Kaylee, and Caleigh, which share a similar sound but typically derive from different roots.