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Hadlee

♀ Girl

Pronounced HAD-lee /ˈhæd.liː/High

Meaning: Variant spelling of Hadley, from Old English haeth (heather, heath) and leah (meadow, clearing, woodland glade); meaning heather meadow or clearing on the heathHigh

In 30 seconds: Hadlee is a modern spelling variant of Hadley, an Old English place-name meaning heather meadow, that has become popular as a girls given name in the United States as part of the fashion for -lee ending surname-style names.
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Origin HighOld English
MeaningVariant spelling of Hadley, from Old English haeth (heather, heath) and leah (meadow, clearing, woodland glade); meaning heather meadow or clearing on the heath
U.S. rank (2025)#931 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births281 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2016
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,231

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201619942025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Hadlee is a variant spelling of Hadley, an English surname and place name from Old English haeth (heather, heath) and leah (clearing, meadow). There are several places named Hadley in England, all referring to clearings or meadows in heathland. The surname Hadley was established in medieval England. In the United States, Hadley became recognizable through Ernest Hemingway's first wife Hadley Richardson. As a girls given name, Hadley began appearing in American birth records in the late 20th century.

Hadlee (with the -ee ending) is a feminine respelling variant of Hadley (-ey ending), following the same pattern seen in Hailey/Hailee, Kylie/Kylee, and Hailey/Haylee. The -ee ending is perceived as slightly more feminine and distinctive. Hadley and Hadlee together have grown steadily in American girls naming since the 2000s, benefiting from the broader fashion for surname-style names ending in -ley/-lee. It fits in the same group as Paisley, Kinsley, Harley, and Berkley.

Did you know? Hemingway named his first wife Hadley Richardson (born Elizabeth Hadley Richardson, 1891–1979), and their life together in 1920s Paris — the subject of his memoir A Moveable Feast — gave the surname Hadley a romantic, literary association that likely contributed to its adoption as a given name.
Overall data confidence 88%
Behind the Name — Hadley — Old English etymology and usage

Variations

HadleyHadleighHadlea

Nicknames

HadsLee

Famous Bearers

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If you like Hadlee…

Hadley— the standard -ey spelling of the same name with identical pronunciation
Paisley— two-syllable -ley/-lee surname-style girls name in the same American fashion
Kinsley— two-syllable Old English -ley ending girls name with the same contemporary appeal
Berkley— two-syllable Old English place-name used as a girls name in the same tradition

Frequently Asked

What does Hadlee mean?

Hadlee is a variant of Hadley, from Old English haeth (heather) and leah (clearing), meaning heather meadow or clearing on the heath.

How do you pronounce Hadlee?

It is said HAD-lee — two syllables, stress on the first. Identical to Hadley.

Is Hadlee the same as Hadley?

Yes, they are the same name; Hadlee uses the -ee ending while Hadley uses -ey.

Is Hadlee a popular name?

Hadlee is a growing name in the United States as part of the trend for -lee ending surname-style girls names.