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Henley

♂ Boy

Pronounced HEHN-lee /ˈhɛn.li/Medium

Meaning: From an English place name, 'high clearing' or 'wood/clearing of a settlement', from Old English heah 'high' and leah 'clearing'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Henley comes from an English place name meaning 'high clearing', from Old English heah 'high' and leah 'clearing'. It is a place-and-surname name now used for boys.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningFrom an English place name, 'high clearing' or 'wood/clearing of a settlement', from Old English heah 'high' and leah 'clearing'.
U.S. rank (2024)#1882 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births85 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2015
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,478

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201519122024

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

History & Origin

The name describes a literal landscape: a high wood or clearing belonging to a settlement, built from the Old English heah and leah. As an English place name it became a surname and, more recently, a first name. Its meaning keeps it tied to open, elevated countryside.

The two-part Old English roots give Henley a soft, rolling sound that fits its current use across genders. With no listed variant spellings, it travels under its single traditional form.

Did you know? Henley reached first-name use through an English place-name and surname route, from Old English elements meaning 'high wood/clearing', which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Henley — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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If you like Henley…

Hadley— Another English place-name name built on the Old English leah 'clearing'.
Bentley— Shares the leah element and the same surname-to-first-name path.
Henry— Shares the Hen- opening and an English heritage.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Henley mean?

Henley means 'high wood' or 'high clearing', from the Old English elements heah 'high' and leah 'wood, clearing'. It is an English place name and surname turned given name.

How do you pronounce Henley?

It's commonly said HEHN-lee /ˈhɛn.li/.

Is Henley a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Henley is used as a boy name.

How popular is Henley?

In 2024, Henley ranked #1882 in the U.S. for boys, with 85 births recorded.