Names that end in y

Sweet and cosy with a touch of sass, this nickname-y choice was a familiar option up until the sixties in the US. Then, for a while, it was a bit of a one-person name, associated with singer Dolly Parton, but more recently, it's been singing a fashionable note again along with sisters Dottie and Millie. 
 Typically short for Dorothy or its sister, Dorothea, Dolly has been used on its own since the seventeenth century, so common then that it became a generic term for a favored girl. In the US, it was a Top 300 name around the turn of the last 20th century.
 The fourth First Lady of the United States spelled her name variously as Dolly and Dolley Madison. And of course Dolly Levi is the name of the central character in the iconic musical bearing her name. Then, there's Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be cloned, and the British writer and journalist, Dolly Alderton, who likely helped bring this name back into the England and Wales Top 1000 back in 2008.
 
While some may read it as just a touch too cutesy, Dolly does fit right in with Birdie, Scottie, Maisie, Etta, Goldie, and so on, and was a Top 400 choice in the UK in a recent year. Its return to the stage in the US has been quieter, but 127 girls were called Dolly in the latest count: more than double the number who were given the name in 2020. 
 
Love Dolly but want a full name besides Dorothy and Dorothea? You could try Dahlia, Gwendolyn, Theodora, Delphine, Odilia, or Dolores.

Dolly

Milly and her more popular sister Millie are adorable Old Lady nickname-names springing back to life. Nearly 100 baby girls were named Milly, just Milly, last year, and Millie is in the US Top 500. Milly is the Molly of the new generation.

Milly

Yesly

Dailany is a modern feminine name that likely emerged in the early 21st century, reflecting the trend toward melodic names with flowing syllables. It may be a creative variation combining elements of names like Dailey, Leilani, or Delany. The name has a contemporary feel with its musical quality and distinctive ending. While its exact linguistic origins are uncertain, Dailany has a multicultural appeal that resonates with various naming traditions. The name remains relatively rare, making it an uncommon choice that still sounds familiar and accessible. Parents might be drawn to Dailany for its unique quality, its pleasant rhythm, and the way it balances uniqueness with pronounceability—a name that stands out without being difficult to say or spell.

Dailany

A surname-style choice with jazzy ties to Cab Calloway and a more sporty association leant to it by a golfing company, Callaway has seen moderate gains in the US since the 2000s. In a recent year, 67 boys (and 58 girls) received the name, while alternative spelling Calloway was given to 87 boys (and 22 girls). 
 
The name may be viewed as an Anglicization of the French place name, Caillouet-Orgeville, meaning "pebbly place" from its Norman roots. Alternatively, it may be seen as a variation of the Scottish Galloway meaning "place of the foreign Gaels".

Callaway

A distinctive surname that, despite its meaning, has a cowboy swagger, a la Autry. 

Gentry

Hindy is a feminine name with Yiddish origins, often used in Jewish communities as a diminutive form of Hinda or as an independent name. Hinda itself derives from a Germanic root meaning "female deer" or "doe," conveying qualities of gentleness and grace. Hindy carries warm, affectionate overtones typical of Yiddish diminutives. The name remains most common in traditional Jewish families, particularly those with Eastern European heritage. While not widely used in mainstream society, Hindy has maintained steady usage within certain Jewish communities. It has a friendly, approachable quality with its soft sounds and ending 'y,' which gives it a somewhat informal, endearing character while still functioning well as a formal given name.

Hindy

More universal than Elvis...and more conventionally attractive, too. Cindy Crawford used it for her son, though it's on the rise mainly for girls. 

The last time Presley ranked in the Top 1000 for boys was 1903, 120 years ago. Today, it's used for girls 14 times as often as for boys, mainly because of the -ley ending.

Presley

Jaisley is a modern feminine name that has emerged in recent years, following the trend of blending popular name elements to create something unique. It likely combines the popular 'Jai-' prefix (seen in names like Jaidyn and Jaiden) with the fashionable '-ley' or '-leigh' suffix that appears in many contemporary names like Paisley and Kinsley. The name has a melodic quality and contemporary feel that appeals to parents seeking something distinctive yet accessible. While still relatively rare, Jaisley has been gradually increasing in usage in the United States since the 2010s, particularly among parents attracted to names that sound fresh and original while maintaining an easy pronunciation and feminine quality.

Jaisley

Used occasionally for boys since the early 20th century, Whitley became a hit for girls in the 80s following its use in the show It's a Different World. Recent years have seen it come back into style and this time, it's on the rise for boys too. While it is still used for girls nearly 85% of the time, it has doubled in popularity for boys since 2020.

Whitley

Charley is, at this point, an old-fashioned spelling for the most popular short form of Charles, better known these days as Charlie. But Charley is a classic and relates more directly to Charles. 

While the y ending may be more traditionally masculine than ie, girls named Charley outnumber boys four to one, while Charlie is split nearly evenly between the sexes. If you're considering naming your son Charles and styling his nickname Charley, be aware that with 20 times more male Charlies than Charleys, you and your child will face constant misspellings. 
 
This spelling was used for characters by Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell in her novel Sylvia's Lovers and by Brandon Thomas in his play Charley's Aunt.

Charley

An imaginative choice with an uptempo Cory/Rory/Tori sound, perfect for the child of a writer &mdash; or anyone with a good story to tell. Story has been finding some appreciation among celebs like Minnie Driver and others as a middle name. This is just one of the literary word names that have recently entered the realm of possibility, such as Fable, Sonnet and Poem.


Story

Winslet, Elowyn, Winnie, Winter, and Winry are all in use, so how about this Old English surname, which gets you that trending -ley ending too? Literally meaning "Wine's clearing", it more figuratively means "friend's clearing" or "friend's field", making it a cool way to honor a friend or someone called Winston, Winifred, or similar. 
 
The name of a village in the south of England, the name was given to 110 girls in a recent year, compared to 48 the year prior. Content creator Elyse L (lined.by.love) chose it for her daughter in 2025.

Winsley

Radical Bradley. Radley is also the surname of one of the heroes of To Kill a Mockingbird. Boo Radley is a reclusive and mentally challenged neighbor who saves the Finch children.

Radley

Loyalty is one of the Modern Virtue Names rising precipitously for babies in recent years, used last year for nearly 300 children, about 85 percent of them girls. Loyalty may also owe some of its popularity to trendy sibling name Royalty.

Loyalty

This attractive surname name still projects that Kennedy family charisma. While it didn't come into widespread use until long after the deaths of martyred heroes President John F. or Senator Robert Kennedy, Kennedy is now one of the most <a href="https://nameberry.com/unisex-names">popular unisex names</a>, particularly for girls. This is one name that manages to sound trendy and traditional at the same time.

Kennedy

Glory sounds fresh and uplifting and a lot more modern than Gloria (which is definitely feeling the stirrings of a revival, though some might still view it as a terminal Old Lady name).  Glory, as in "Glory Be" and "Old Glory," has both a religious and a patriotic flavor.

Glory

Short for Samuel or long for Sam, Sammy is a sweet midcentury nickname name that we can see coming back.

Sammy

Actor Coby Bell gives this short but sweet name a hefty amount of street cred. Can also be spelled Koby or Kobe, as in Kobe Bryant.

Coby

Judy was the nickname of choice for almost all the Judiths born in the 1940s and 50s; today's little Judiths are much more likely to be called Judith -- or, possibly, Jude. 