Meaning: High clearing or tall meadow; from Old English heah (high) + leah (clearing, meadow)Medium
In 30 seconds: An English place-name surname meaning 'high clearing,' best known for Henley-on-Thames β home of the Royal Henley Regatta. As a girls' name it sits in the same preppy Southern tier as Hadley, Sutton, and Finley.
Henley is an English topographic surname from Old English heah (high) and leah (woodland clearing or meadow). Several English villages bear the name, the most famous being Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, host of the Royal Henley Regatta since 1839.
Henley appeared in U.S. girls' birth data in the 2010s as part of the -ley-ending surname trend. It ranked #956 for girls in 2024, sitting alongside Hadley, Oakley, and Finley in the preppy English surname name category.
Did you know? The Henley Royal Regatta, held on the Thames since 1839, is one of England's most prestigious rowing events and a centerpiece of the British summer social season β giving the name an association with elegance and sporting tradition.
