From Welsh 'Taliesin' or a place name meaning brow of the hill; also an English occupational surname.
Talley exists in the interesting middle ground between nickname and given name, carrying warmth and informality in its double-l softness. As a surname it derives from the Old French tailleur, 'cutter,' an occupational name for a tailor — the same root that gives English the word 'tailor' itself. But as a given name, Talley has most commonly emerged as a pet form or derivative of names like Natalie (via Natalie → Nat → Talley), or less frequently of Talitha, the Aramaic word meaning 'little girl' or 'young woman,' a name preserved in the New Testament in the passage where Jesus raises Jairus's daughter with the words 'Talitha cumi' — 'Little girl, arise.'
The Aramaic connection gives Talley a quietly sacred undertone that its breezy sound does not immediately advertise. Talitha was used by early Christian communities, especially in the Middle East, and has enjoyed periodic revivals among parents drawn to biblical names with linguistic depth and geographical reach. Talley as a standalone name carries this heritage lightly, presenting itself as approachable and contemporary while gesturing toward something much older.
In American usage, Talley has functioned both as a family surname converted to first name and as a genuinely affectionate given name, particularly in the South and Midwest, where double-consonant names with a trailing 'ee' sound — Lily, Millie, Tillie — have long felt at home. It has the quality of a name that sounds like it belongs to someone specific and beloved, a quality that is harder to manufacture than it appears and that distinguishes truly enduring names from trendy ones. Talley feels lived-in without being worn out.