Names That Mean Clearing

  1. Everly
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "wild boar in woodland clearing"
    • Description:

      Sweet and stylish, with a sporty, energetic undertone, Everly is a name that ticks lots of boxes.
  2. Oakley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "oak wood or clearing"
    • Description:

      As sturdy as Oak, but with stronger roots as a first name, Oakley ticks lots of boxes for modern trends. With its unisex vibe, its nature-based meaning, its surname-y feel, and its popular -lee ending, it's not wonder Oakley is on the rise.
  3. Stanley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "near the stony clearing"
    • Description:

      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.
  4. Harley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "hare clearing"
    • Description:

      You can ride one, you can use it as a baby name – or, as is often the case, both! Harley is currently trending up for girls and down for boys in the US, although it remains predominantly masculine in the UK. A lesser-used -ley ending choice for boys, Harley has a current sound but an old-school biker appeal.
  5. Rodney
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "island near the clearing"
    • Description:

      Rodney peaked at Number 33 in 1965 and has been on a steady decline ever since. As its popularity history indicates, this name is more fitting for someone born in the mid-twentieth century instead of the twenty-first century. It's likely this name will continue trending downward for another generation or two before it has its chance to turn back around.
  6. Ripley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "strip of clearing in the woods"
    • Description:

      With its surname-style, literary feel, and similarity in sound to Finley, Juniper, Pippa, Riley, and Presley, Ripley is an unexpected choice that was given to more than 200 girls in each recent year. First used back in the 80s, thanks to the powerful character played by Sigourney Weaver in the Alien films, it began to be used more substantially in the 2000s, after it was chosen by actress Thandiwe Newton for her daughter.
  7. Ripley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "strip of clearing in the woods"
    • Description:

      The "Believe It or Not" jokes will get old fast, but this surname feels fun and on-trend for both girls and boys, reminiscent of Riley, Tripp, Bridger, and Oakley.
  8. Oakley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "oak wood or clearing"
    • Description:

      Oakley, with its nature name roots and its Annie Oakley charm, is a hot name for both genders but more than twice as popular for girls. This name made it into the Top 1000 for the first time in 2013, one of only four girl names starting with O to rank that high. A decade letter, it's aiming for the Top 100.
  9. Everleigh
    • Origin:

      Variation of Everly
    • Meaning:

      "wild boar in woodland clearing"
    • Description:

      Like Ashley before it, on-trend Everly has been followed by a range of spelling variants, and among them, Everleigh is the most popular.
  10. Everly
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "wild boar in woodland clearing"
    • Description:

      Evokes 1960s brotherly close harmony. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' Anthony Kiedis named his son Everly Bear, and it is also an explosively popular choice for girls. We predict that all the "Ever" names will be one of the defining trends of the 2010s-20s.
  11. Blakely
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "dark wood or clearing"
    • Description:

      Blakely, along with Blakeley, Blakelee and Blakeleigh, is one of the post-Ashley surname names that end with the lee sound so stylish today. Reality stars Trista and Ryan Sutter named their daughter Blakesley. These surname-names are among the most stylish English names for girls.
  12. Everlyn
    • Origin:

      American invented name, variation of Evelyn and Everly, English
    • Meaning:

      "desired; water; island; wild boar in woodland clearing"
    • Description:

      Everlyn is one of the countless new spin on Evelyn and sisters, this generation's answer to Caitlin and Michaela. Evelyn, recently in the US Top 10, has been around as a name for a long time, once used for boys too. Ever and Everly are newer inventions, and Everlyn borrows something from them all. Nearly 70 baby girls were named Everlyn in the most recent year counted.
  13. Ansley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "clearing with a hermitage"
    • Description:

      Part Ashley, part Ainsley, part Annie, Ansley featured in the US Top 1000 from the late '90s until 2020. It peaked in 2011 when it nearly reached the Top 600, but has declined in recent years.
  14. Farley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "fern clearing"
    • Description:

      Actor Farley Granger set it in motion, now could be a gentler alternative to Harley.
  15. Brinkley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "woodland clearing"
    • Description:

      This English surname turned girls' first name owes its rise to supermodel Christie Brinkley, who first rose to fame in the late 70s and early 80s. Brinkley appeared on the charts for the first time in 1985, peaking at 90 births in 2012 and 2013. It probably derives from the Old English masculine name Brynca + "ley" (woodland clearing).
  16. Tenley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "burnt clearing"
    • Description:

      This name is currently best known on The Bachelorette's Tenley Molzahn. In the 1950s, it was attached to the Olympic figure skating champion Tenley Albright, and Jessica Biel played a Tenley in the movie Summer Catch.
  17. Ryden
    • Origin:

      Swedish surname
    • Meaning:

      "woodland clearing"
    • Description:

      This trendy-sounding name emerged from the era of Aiden and Jayden and Ryder and Ryker. Many parents may have come to it on their own, but Ryden has ancient roots as a Swedish surname, from the component ryd, meaning "woodland clearing," and the common surname suffix én, a derivative of the Latin enius.
  18. Morley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "moor, meadow clearing"
    • Description:

      Gently pleasant English family name long associated with 60-Minuteman Morley Safer.
  19. Shelley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "clearing on a bank"
    • Description:

      The Shirley of the 1950s. Shelley Winters was born a Shirley.
  20. Kenley
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "well-known clearing"
    • Description:

      Kenley is an area in the burrough of Croydon in South London, making this a place name in a couple of senses of the term. Kenley and its twin sister Kenlee may be favored by parents looking to name a daughter after dad Ken...or Lee.