Miley
Miley was the 338th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 900 babies. Its best year was 2008, when it ranked 129th with 2,652 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 679 places. More babies were named Miley in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning from 'Smiley' (Miley Cyrus) · American English
Say it MY-lee /ˈmaɪli/
- Rank in 2025
- #338 girls, up 405 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 900girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20082,652 babies
- Total since 1880
- 15,779babies recorded
What does the name Miley mean?
Miley was popularized as a girl's name by the singer Miley Cyrus, born Destiny Hope Cyrus, whose childhood nickname Miley came from "Smiley", as Wiktionary notes. It rose in the US with her Hannah Montana TV series (2006-2011). Miley also exists as an English surname, but that is not the source of the modern name.
smiley (English, “smiling (nickname source)”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Mylee, Riley, Kylie.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Miley', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Miley popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 75 since 1915.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #338 | 900 |
| 2020 | #743 | 369 |
| 2010 | #215 | 1,442 |
| 2000 | #11,456 | 8 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | #9,897 | 6 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | #4,782 | 6 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Miley, counting every spelling?
Miley is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #305 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #338 for Miley on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,073 girls in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Miley?
900 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Miley (0.25 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Miley born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Miley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Miley?
About 15,500 people born in the US named Miley are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 7 and 18. That makes Miley mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Miley by state
How common Miley was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Iowa (2.5×), Kentucky (2.5×), Nebraska (2.3×), Idaho (2.1×), Kansas (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Maryland, West Virginia, New Hampshire.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Miley: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Miley, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Miley · Sibling names for Miley
Questions about the name Miley
What does Miley mean?
Miley means “from 'Smiley' (Miley Cyrus)” (American English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Miley?
Miley was the 338th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 900 babies. Its best year was 2008, when it ranked 129th with 2,652 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 679 places. More babies were named Miley in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Miley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Miley in the US.
Where is Miley most popular?
In 2021–2025, Miley was most common in Iowa (0.99 per 1,000 girls), followed by Kentucky and Nebraska.