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Kingsley

♀ Girl

Pronounced KINGZ-lee /ˈkɪŋz.li/Medium

Meaning: King's wood; king's meadowMedium

In 30 seconds: Kingsley is an Old English place-and-surname name meaning 'king's wood' or 'king's meadow', now used for girls.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningKing's wood; king's meadow
U.S. rank (2024)#1673 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births122 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2020
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,042

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202019772024

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

History & Origin

The name joins the Old English elements for 'king' and 'ley' (a wood or clearing), describing land that once belonged to a king. Like many English surnames, it began as a way of pointing to where a family came from before it became a given name. Its move onto girls is recent, but the meaning it carries is genuinely old.

The strong opening 'King-' and the gentle '-ley' tail give it a confident, current sound that fits the broader trend of surname names crossing to girls.

Did you know? Kingsley likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Kingsley — 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 Kingsley…

Kinsley— Near-identical surname name with the same '-ley' ending and sound.
Presley— Another English surname name carried over to girls with '-ley'.
Hadley— Shares the Old English '-ley' meaning a wood or clearing.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Kingsley mean?

Kingsley is usually explained as meaning 'king's wood' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Kingsley?

It's commonly said KINGZ-lee /ˈkɪŋz.li/.

Is Kingsley a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Kingsley?

In 2024, Kingsley ranked #1673 in the U.S. for girls, with 122 births recorded.