Corley Name Meaning & Historical Trends

Corley

Pronunciation: KOR-lee

Meaning Woodland clearing where corn grows Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#13,576
TREND
2,174

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Corley in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Corley

  • 621 babies named Corley: U.S. records list 621 babies given the name Corley from 1880 through 2025. Even 255 boys received the name Corley.

What Does the Name Corley Mean?

Corley is an English habitational name, taken from one of the places in England called Corley. The best known of these is the village of Corley in Warwickshire. The place name is usually explained as Old English corn, meaning "grain," joined to lēah, a "woodland clearing" or "glade," giving the sense "the clearing where corn is grown." Some place-name scholars instead read the first element as an Old English personal name, which would make the meaning "the clearing belonging to a man of that name." Medieval spellings of the place can be read either way, so the exact derivation is not settled. The surname is not related to similar-sounding names such as Cowley or Crawley, which come from different places and different Old English elements.

Corley Name History & Origins

Corley started as a surname, not a given name. English surnames of this kind were taken from the village or estate a family came from, and the name would have been carried away from Warwickshire as people moved for work or land. The place itself sits in northern Warwickshire, in the countryside north of Coventry, and the surname is recorded in various parts of England over the centuries.

Corley is also found as a surname in Ireland, where it is sometimes described as an anglicized form of a Gaelic name. Which Gaelic original lies behind it has not been established with confidence, so the Irish side of the name's history should be treated as separate from the English place-name origin rather than as part of the same line of development.

Its use as a first name is more recent and follows the general habit of turning English surnames into given names. It appears mainly in the United States. The spelling is the same as the surname; short forms such as Corl or Corley Ann are informal personal choices rather than separate traditional names.

How Popular is the Name Corley?

Corley 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 2011. Its best rank was #2,919 in 1944.

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.

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 Corley Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.

You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.

✦ Corley's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Corley's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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