Fun Facts About the Name Brailey
- More than 1 thousand babies named Brailey: U.S. records list 1,181 babies given the name Brailey from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 boys received the name Brailey - about 1 boy for every 235 girls.
What Does the Name Brailey Mean?
Brailey is an English name that comes from the surname Brayley. The surname is habitational, from a place in Devon, England, and is usually explained as Old English brād 'broad' + lēah 'wood, clearing, meadow.' Its literal sense is therefore 'broad clearing' or 'broad woodland.' As a given name, Brailey takes its meaning from that surname rather than having a separate etymology of its own.
Some modern name lists translate lēah more loosely as 'meadow,' giving 'broad meadow.' That is a later and less precise rendering; in place names the word more often refers to a clearing or stretch of woodland.
Brailey Name History & Origins
The surname Brayley, with the variant Brailey, is an English habitational name associated with Devon in southwestern England. It belongs to the large group of English surnames formed from place names ending in -ley, from Old English lēah. Such names described a piece of land - a clearing, wood, or meadow - and became hereditary when families took the name of their home place with them.
Brailey as a first name is a modern use of the surname. It is not a medieval given name in its own right, and its history is separate from the medieval origin of the family name. The spelling Brailey is one of several forms; Brayley is the usual surname spelling, while Braylee and similar spellings belong to the modern given-name fashion for -ley and -lee names. The name should not be confused with Bradley, which has a similar 'broad clearing' meaning but a different spelling and history.
How Popular is the Name Brailey?
Brailey has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2012. Its best rank was #2,359 in 2012.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,449 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #6,653 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #5,147 | 25 | 0.0016% |
| 2022 | #5,336 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #5,112 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2020 | #4,563 | 29 | 0.0018% |
| 2019 | #3,509 | 44 | 0.0026% |
| 2018 | #3,060 | 53 | 0.0031% |
| 2017 | #3,491 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 2016 | #3,335 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2015 | #3,218 | 51 | 0.0029% |
| 2014 | #3,047 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 2013 | #2,601 | 68 | 0.0039% |
| 2012 | #2,359 | 79 | 0.0045% |
| 2011 | #2,436 | 75 | 0.0043% |
| 2010 | #2,844 | 61 | 0.0034% |
| 2009 | #2,468 | 77 | 0.0042% |
| 2008 | #3,024 | 57 | 0.0030% |
| 2007 | #3,295 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2006 | #3,679 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2005 | #3,747 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 2004 | #4,406 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2003 | #4,561 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2002 | #3,604 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2001 | #5,393 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2000 | #6,253 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #5,939 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #7,164 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #9,126 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #7,656 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #11,976 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #8,205 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,557 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Brailey Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You can go to great heights and equally great depths. You are emotional and fixed in your opinions. You are hospitable, sentimental, often psychic, sometimes moody. You are ruled by love and the lack of it and feel a need to be encouraged and appreciated. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Brailey's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Brailey's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.