Fun Facts About the Name Hadley
- More than 48 thousand babies named Hadley: U.S. records list 48,678 babies given the name Hadley from 1880 through 2025. Even 2,096 boys received the name Hadley - about 1 boy for every 22 girls.
What Does the Name Hadley Mean?
Hadley is an English place name turned surname turned given name. It is built from two Old English elements: hǣþ, meaning "heath" (open, uncultivated land, often covered with heather), and lēah, which first meant a woodland clearing and later came to mean a meadow or pasture. The usual translation is therefore "heath clearing" or "heather field." The lēah ending is common in English place names, but a shared ending does not mean two names share an origin, since the first element of each place name is what gives it its particular meaning. Hadley's meaning comes from geography rather than from an Old English personal name, and the name reached modern use as a given name by way of the surname.
Hadley Name History & Origins
As a surname, Hadley belongs to the large group of English family names taken from the village a person came from or held land in. Several English places carry the name, including Hadley in Shropshire, Hadley near Barnet on the northern edge of London, and Hadley Wood nearby. Early medieval spellings of such places include forms like Hadlege, showing the same two elements. Surnames of this toponymic kind became fixed in England in the later Middle Ages, and once Hadley existed as a hereditary surname it could be passed on and eventually reused as a first name.
Hadley has been recorded as a given name in the English-speaking world, and it has been used for both boys and girls, though it is now given far more often to girls. An early well-documented bearer was Hadley Richardson (1891 - 1979), the first wife of Ernest Hemingway. The name also traveled as a place name: Hadley, Massachusetts, was settled in the seventeenth century and is generally said to be named after a Hadley in England.
How Popular is the Name Hadley?
Hadley recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2014. Hadley entered the top 100 U.S. girl names in 2014.
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 | #121 | 2,254 | 0.1402% |
| 2024 | #114 | 2,380 | 0.1475% |
| 2023 | #119 | 2,311 | 0.1442% |
| 2022 | #112 | 2,540 | 0.1550% |
| 2021 | #112 | 2,477 | 0.1511% |
| 2020 | #111 | 2,424 | 0.1500% |
| 2019 | #112 | 2,572 | 0.1533% |
| 2018 | #104 | 2,873 | 0.1690% |
| 2017 | #112 | 2,709 | 0.1570% |
| 2016 | #108 | 2,888 | 0.1630% |
| 2015 | #103 | 2,975 | 0.1667% |
| 2014 | #100 | 3,015 | 0.1688% |
| 2013 | #110 | 2,830 | 0.1613% |
| 2012 | #130 | 2,419 | 0.1374% |
| 2011 | #178 | 1,759 | 0.1000% |
| 2010 | #218 | 1,439 | 0.0810% |
| 2009 | #365 | 887 | 0.0483% |
| 2008 | #419 | 769 | 0.0407% |
| 2007 | #469 | 687 | 0.0357% |
| 2006 | #494 | 620 | 0.0326% |
| 2005 | #625 | 450 | 0.0244% |
| 2004 | #692 | 392 | 0.0213% |
| 2003 | #702 | 373 | 0.0204% |
| 2002 | #873 | 262 | 0.0146% |
| 2001 | #858 | 266 | 0.0148% |
| 2000 | #921 | 235 | 0.0129% |
| 1999 | #1,031 | 198 | 0.0112% |
| 1998 | #966 | 212 | 0.0120% |
| 1997 | #1,171 | 157 | 0.0090% |
| 1996 | #1,395 | 119 | 0.0068% |
| 1995 | #1,523 | 102 | 0.0058% |
| 1994 | #1,359 | 123 | 0.0069% |
| 1993 | #1,646 | 92 | 0.0051% |
| 1992 | #1,788 | 81 | 0.0044% |
| 1991 | #2,095 | 64 | 0.0034% |
| 1990 | #2,413 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 1989 | #2,313 | 51 | 0.0028% |
| 1988 | #2,819 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1987 | #2,734 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 1986 | #2,530 | 39 | 0.0023% |
| 1985 | #3,651 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1984 | #2,747 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 1983 | #2,686 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 1982 | #2,783 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 1981 | #3,095 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1980 | #3,022 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 1979 | #3,018 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 1978 | #3,546 | 21 | 0.0014% |
| 1977 | #3,951 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1976 | #3,127 | 23 | 0.0016% |
| 1975 | #3,194 | 22 | 0.0015% |
| 1974 | #3,603 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1973 | #3,272 | 20 | 0.0014% |
| 1972 | #3,315 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 1971 | #5,250 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1970 | #4,327 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1969 | #4,826 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #6,514 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1967 | #6,294 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1966 | #5,023 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1965 | #6,057 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #5,663 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6,938 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #4,744 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #3,651 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2022 | #4,344 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 2021 | #4,148 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2020 | #3,519 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2019 | #3,517 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2018 | #3,125 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 2017 | #3,265 | 35 | 0.0019% |
| 2016 | #3,385 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2015 | #3,104 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2014 | #2,680 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 2013 | #3,361 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2012 | #2,532 | 49 | 0.0026% |
| 2011 | #2,559 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2010 | #2,925 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 2009 | #2,777 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 2008 | #2,761 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 2007 | #2,886 | 41 | 0.0020% |
| 2006 | #3,181 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 2005 | #2,679 | 41 | 0.0021% |
| 2004 | #2,219 | 52 | 0.0026% |
| 2003 | #3,661 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2002 | #2,778 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2001 | #2,832 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2000 | #2,693 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1999 | #2,894 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #2,735 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1997 | #3,019 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1996 | #3,330 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #3,752 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #5,217 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #3,893 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #5,006 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #3,887 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #3,223 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #3,252 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #5,389 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #2,879 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1986 | #5,041 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #4,457 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #3,347 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #3,972 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #2,752 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1981 | #3,097 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1980 | #3,951 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1979 | #3,064 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1977 | #3,958 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #5,174 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #3,315 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1974 | #5,508 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #5,382 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1972 | #5,265 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #3,473 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #3,630 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #3,160 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1968 | #3,208 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #3,705 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #2,378 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #2,874 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #2,596 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #2,927 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1961 | #2,465 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1960 | #2,469 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1959 | #2,913 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #2,307 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #3,366 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #2,549 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1955 | #1,997 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1954 | #3,044 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1953 | #2,603 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1952 | #2,426 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #2,742 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #2,654 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1949 | #2,515 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1948 | #2,511 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1947 | #2,195 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1946 | #2,075 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1945 | #1,725 | 16 | 0.0012% |
| 1944 | #2,118 | 12 | 0.0009% |
| 1943 | #2,630 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1942 | #2,592 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1941 | #1,612 | 19 | 0.0015% |
| 1940 | #2,123 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1939 | #2,222 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1938 | #1,928 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1937 | #2,257 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1936 | #2,519 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1935 | #1,872 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1934 | #2,064 | 13 | 0.0013% |
| 1933 | #2,437 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1932 | #1,951 | 15 | 0.0014% |
| 1931 | #1,796 | 17 | 0.0016% |
| 1930 | #1,720 | 19 | 0.0017% |
| 1929 | #2,502 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1928 | #1,470 | 26 | 0.0023% |
| 1927 | #1,537 | 25 | 0.0022% |
| 1926 | #1,940 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1925 | #1,762 | 20 | 0.0018% |
| 1924 | #2,724 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1923 | #2,059 | 16 | 0.0015% |
| 1922 | #2,283 | 14 | 0.0013% |
| 1921 | #1,935 | 18 | 0.0016% |
| 1920 | #1,785 | 20 | 0.0019% |
| 1919 | #1,839 | 18 | 0.0018% |
| 1918 | #1,856 | 18 | 0.0018% |
| 1917 | #1,932 | 16 | 0.0017% |
| 1916 | #2,089 | 14 | 0.0016% |
| 1915 | #2,016 | 14 | 0.0016% |
| 1914 | #1,641 | 15 | 0.0023% |
| 1913 | #1,858 | 10 | 0.0020% |
| 1912 | #1,570 | 11 | 0.0026% |
| 1911 | #1,228 | 9 | 0.0040% |
| 1910 | #1,690 | 5 | 0.0026% |
| 1909 | #777 | 14 | 0.0085% |
| 1908 | #668 | 16 | 0.0104% |
| 1906 | #1,179 | 6 | 0.0045% |
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 Hadley Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Hadley's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hadley's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.