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Ensley

♀ Girl

Pronounced ENZ-lee /ˈɛnz.li/High

Meaning: A modern American given name, likely derived from an English place name or surname meaning 'Ean's meadow' or 'clearing of the solitary one', combining an Old English personal name with leah (meadow, woodland clearing)Medium

In 30 seconds: Ensley is a modern American name with Old English place-name roots, evoking a meadow clearing. Its gentle two-syllable sound and the popular -ley/-sley ending give it a feminine charm that fits modern naming trends.

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Origin MediumOld English, American English

MeaningA modern American given name, likely derived from an English place name or surname meaning 'Ean's meadow' or 'clearing of the solitary one', combining an Old English personal name with leah (meadow, woodland clearing)

U.S. rank (2025)#845 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births322 girls (0.02% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2020

Total births (all-time)≈ 3,792

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Ensley appears to derive from an English place name or surname following the common Old English pattern of personal name + leah (meadow, woodland clearing). The opening element may relate to Old English Ean or a similar personal name. It is also a neighborhood name in Birmingham, Alabama, established in the late 19th century during the steel boom. As a given name it is a modern American coinage.

Ensley emerged in U.S. name data in the 21st century, part of the broad family of -ley/-sley names popular for girls, including Ainsley, Kinsley, Presley, and Hartley. Its sound is similar to Ainsley but distinguished by the E- opening and the slightly harder -nz- sound. It has appeared most prominently in the South and Midwest.

Did you know? Ensley is also the name of a historic neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama, once home to a thriving steel industry — giving the name a connection to American industrial history alongside its meadow-name softness.

Overall data confidence 70%

Old English place-name elements — leah — meadow/clearing suffixU.S. Social Security Administration — Ensley name frequency data

Variations

EnsleeEnsleigh

Nicknames

EnsLee

Famous Bearers

★Ensley Bingham (born 1961)
Ensley Bingham (born 1961 in Manchester, England), nicknamed Bingo, is a British former professional boxer who competed at light-middleweight and won the British title on multiple occasions across a 28-bout career that ran from November 1986 through the late 1990s. In January 1996 he defeated Gilbert Jackson to claim the British light-middleweight championship, and later that year he challenged Ronald Winky Wright for the WBO light-middleweight world title. After retiring from competition Bingham became a boxing coach at the Champs Camp gym in Moss Side, Manchester, where he has worked as a trainer.

If you like Ensley…

Ainsley— same -nsley ending and the Old English meadow-name heritage

Kinsley— shares the two-syllable -sley sound and the modern girls name trend

Presley— fellow -sley name with an American surname feel for girls

Hartley— same -ley ending and the English place-name-as-given-name style

Explore names like Ensley

By thememodern american two-syllable place-name old-english feminine

By meaningGift / Blessing Earth / Nature

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Ensley mean?

Ensley likely derives from an Old English place name meaning Ean's meadow or clearing of the solitary one.

How do you pronounce Ensley?

It is said ENZ-lee, with two syllables.

Is Ensley a popular name?

Ensley is a modern name that has appeared on U.S. charts in recent years as part of the -sley name family.

What names are similar to Ensley?

Names with a similar sound and style include Ainsley, Kinsley, and Presley.