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Worley

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Worley

Pronounced WUR-lee /ˈwɜr.li/Medium

Meaning: Worley is an English surname from a place name, built on Old English elements pointing to an enclosure or clearing (a leah, 'wood or meadow'). Like many surnames it was adopted as a first name, often to carry a family name forward.Medium

In 30 seconds: Worley is an English surname meaning a 'clearing' or 'enclosure', used as a given name. It appeared from the early nineteen-hundreds and is said 'WUR-lee'.

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Origin LowEnglish

MeaningWorley is an English surname from a place name, built on Old English elements pointing to an enclosure or clearing (a leah, 'wood or meadow'). Like many surnames it was adopted as a first name, often to carry a family name forward.

U.S. rank (1971)#4897 ↗ Rising

1971 U.S. births6 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1920

Total births (all-time)≈ 730

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

Worley is an English surname turned given name, originating in a place name from Old English elements that describe an enclosure or a clearing with the common ending leah, 'wood' or 'meadow'. Its adoption as a boys' first name follows the widespread practice of honoring a family surname, especially in the American South.

As a given name Worley was never common, appearing quietly from the eighteen-eighties and reaching only a few dozen boys a year around its high point near 1920 before fading by the nineteen-seventies. Someone named Worley then would be elderly or passed on now, so the name reads as a vintage surname-name rather than one enjoying any revival.

Did you know? Worley began as a place name and family surname, and its use as a first name reflects the old Southern American custom of passing a mother's maiden name or an admired surname to a son.

Overall data confidence 55%

References - Worley — English place/surname; Old English leah 'clearing/meadow'

Variations

WorleighWortleyWarleyWhorley

Nicknames

WorLee

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If you like Worley…

Wesley— a fellow English -ley surname name of the era

Wiley— shares the vintage surname feel and -ey ending

Morley— another -ley place-and-surname name

Farley— a comparable English -ley name used for boys

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Worley mean?

Worley is an English surname and place name meaning a 'clearing' or 'enclosure'.

How do you pronounce Worley?

It's said WUR-lee /ˈwɜr.li/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Worley a boy or girl name?

Worley is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Worley?

Worley is rare, a vintage English surname used as a given name in the early nineteen-hundreds.