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Fairley
Pronounced FAIR-lee /ˈfɛrli/Medium
Meaning: Fairley is an English surname and place name meaning 'fern clearing' or 'fern wood,' from Old English 'fearn' (fern) and 'leah' (clearing, meadow). It is closely related to Farley and was used as a given name in the early twentieth century.Low
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
Fairley is a surname name rooted in Old English 'fearn' (fern) and 'leah' (clearing), 'the fern meadow.' Like many place-based surnames it crossed to first-name use in the early twentieth century, part of the era's taste for landscape names.
It was never common, given to only about sixteen boys a year at its peak around 1944, and faded by the mid-nineteen-sixties. A boy named Fairley then would be a grandfather today.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Fairley mean?
It is an English surname and place name meaning 'fern clearing,' from Old English 'fearn' and 'leah.'
How do you pronounce Fairley?
It is said FAIR-lee /ˈfɛrli/ - two syllables.
Is Fairley a boy or girl name?
Fairley is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Fairley?
It was always rare in the United States, given to only about sixteen boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-forties.