Fun Facts About the Name Henley
- More than 8 thousand babies named Henley: U.S. records list 8,266 babies given the name Henley from 1880 through 2025. Of these, 1,543 boys received the name Henley - about 1 boy for every 4 girls.
What Does the Name Henley Mean?
Henley is an English name meaning "high wood" or "high clearing." It comes from Old English, the language spoken in England before the Norman Conquest. The first element is hēah, meaning "high," which appears in place names in its inflected form hēan. The second element is lēah, which can be translated as "wood," "clearing," or "glade" - a patch of open ground in woodland. The two parts together describe a high or elevated wooded place.
Because lēah is glossed in more than one way, the name is sometimes given as "high wood" and sometimes as "high clearing" or "high meadow." These are variations in how the same Old English word is translated, not separate origins.
Henley Name History & Origins
Henley began as an English place name, not a personal name. Several settlements in England carry it, including Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire, and Henley in Suffolk. Each was named for its setting - a high clearing or wooded spot - and each developed independently from the same Old English words.
During the Middle Ages, English families increasingly took surnames that identified where they lived or where they had come from. People who moved away from one of these Henleys could be recorded as "de Henley" or simply Henley, and the surname spread across England in that way. The name later traveled with English settlers to other countries, and towns in places such as South Africa and New Zealand were named after the English originals.
Henley-on-Thames became well known for the rowing regatta held there, the Royal Regatta, first staged in 1839, which helped keep the place name familiar in the English-speaking world.
As a first name, Henley is a modern development. It belongs to the broad fashion, strongest in the United States from the late twentieth century onward, for using English surnames as given names. Before that, Henley was overwhelmingly a surname and a place name rather than a personal name given at birth.
How Popular is the Name Henley?
Henley recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2016. Its best rank was #512 in 2016.
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 | #1,001 | 252 | 0.0157% |
| 2024 | #956 | 272 | 0.0169% |
| 2023 | #792 | 355 | 0.0222% |
| 2022 | #739 | 394 | 0.0240% |
| 2021 | #622 | 477 | 0.0291% |
| 2020 | #583 | 500 | 0.0309% |
| 2019 | #601 | 502 | 0.0299% |
| 2018 | #566 | 549 | 0.0323% |
| 2017 | #521 | 599 | 0.0347% |
| 2016 | #512 | 607 | 0.0343% |
| 2015 | #558 | 559 | 0.0313% |
| 2014 | #521 | 592 | 0.0331% |
| 2013 | #833 | 319 | 0.0182% |
| 2012 | #1,316 | 179 | 0.0102% |
| 2011 | #1,608 | 135 | 0.0077% |
| 2010 | #1,877 | 108 | 0.0061% |
| 2009 | #2,865 | 61 | 0.0033% |
| 2008 | #4,036 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 2007 | #5,148 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2006 | #4,028 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2005 | #5,156 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2004 | #5,822 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #7,345 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #7,194 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #7,907 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #8,784 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #8,429 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #7,722 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #8,573 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #10,999 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1995 | #10,929 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #10,978 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #13,948 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,194 | 65 | 0.0038% |
| 2024 | #1,882 | 85 | 0.0050% |
| 2023 | #1,775 | 91 | 0.0053% |
| 2022 | #1,737 | 96 | 0.0055% |
| 2021 | #2,007 | 74 | 0.0042% |
| 2020 | #2,172 | 64 | 0.0037% |
| 2019 | #2,155 | 66 | 0.0037% |
| 2018 | #2,001 | 73 | 0.0040% |
| 2017 | #1,902 | 76 | 0.0041% |
| 2016 | #1,709 | 91 | 0.0048% |
| 2015 | #1,556 | 104 | 0.0054% |
| 2014 | #1,833 | 81 | 0.0042% |
| 2013 | #1,815 | 79 | 0.0042% |
| 2012 | #2,394 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2011 | #2,820 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2010 | #2,701 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 2009 | #4,642 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2008 | #6,198 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #9,204 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #6,615 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2005 | #5,991 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #4,319 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #8,120 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2002 | #11,322 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #11,201 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #9,126 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #7,888 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #6,281 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1994 | #8,134 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #7,095 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #8,931 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #6,805 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #7,386 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #7,125 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #6,659 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1974 | #5,525 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #5,016 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1963 | #4,291 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1961 | #4,313 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1954 | #4,058 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1951 | #3,932 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #3,487 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #2,514 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1947 | #3,969 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1946 | #2,789 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1944 | #3,631 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,296 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1940 | #2,563 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1939 | #3,703 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1935 | #3,888 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #3,462 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1933 | #2,627 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1932 | #2,964 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #3,773 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1929 | #2,842 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1926 | #3,918 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #3,122 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1923 | #4,512 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #3,375 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1919 | #3,558 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1918 | #3,508 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1917 | #3,739 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1915 | #2,524 | 10 | 0.0012% |
| 1912 | #2,696 | 5 | 0.0012% |
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 Henley 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 have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
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.
✦ Henley's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Henley's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.