The name Stanley is a girl's name of English origin meaning "near the stony meadow".

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Perfect example of how your perception of a name can change when you apply it to the opposite gender: when used for a girl, Stanley suddenly becomes an attractive, upper-crusty name ala Ansley or Finley.

Stanley

English

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The name Stanley peaked for girls at #1123 in 1927. Stanley is also used for boys, ranking #863 in 2025.

The name Stanley is a boy's name of English origin meaning "near the stony clearing".

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Although Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire personified brute force, most Stanleys have been portrayed as meek milquetoasts. It has a totally "old-man" or "grandpa" vibe that may appeal to those who like Walter and Rupert or Daphne and Mabel.

 Stanley came to popularity initially via the explorer Sir Henry Morton Stanley, who made historic contact with Dr. Livingston in Africa in 1871. Noted US namesakes include movie directors Stanley Kramer and Stanley Kubrick and actor Stanley Tucci.
 Stanley had a long run in the Top 100--from 1890 to 1959, and ranked in the England and Wales Top 100 in 2023.

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England

The name Stanley is currently ranked #863 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #34 in 1915. The name is most popular in STANLEY, STANLEY, and STANLEY. Stanley is occasionally used for girls in 1990.

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
2014	—	0	0
2015	—	0	0
2016	—	0	0
2017	—	0	0
2018	—	0	0
2019	—	0	0
2020	—	0	0
2021	—	0	0
2022	—	0	0
2023	—	0	0
2024	—	0	0
2025	—	0	0

Stanley

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