Names That Mean Clearing

In line with Sunny, Happy, Joy, and Lucky, Smiley is a upbeat, happy feeling choice. Best known as a description for someone with a smile ever on their face, it is also a surname meaning "small clearing", though it's unlikely that's what people would be thinking about on hearing it.
 
Used quietly for boys throughout the 20th-century, it is more likely reserved as a nickname or perhaps as a middle.

Smiley

Originally used as a habitational surname for someone from a town of the same name in the North of England, Bingley is perhaps best associated with the good-natured Charles Bingley in Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Yet to catch on, it's a literary choice that might make an alternative to Briggs or Bradley, and could get you to zingy nickname Bing, without having to commit to using the name of a search engine.

Bingley

Glade

Currently more popular for girls, Winsley could easily work as a unisex option, similar in sound to Winston and Finley. Literally meaning "Wine's clearing" and more figuratively meaning "friend's clearing", it briefly appeared in the US stats for boys in 2009.

Winsley

Similar in sound to Emily, Ainsley, and Wrenley, this stripped back from of Enley or Henley is a contemporary choice, chosen by influencer Kat Pond in 2026, for her daughter Louella's middle name. As a variation of Enley and Henley, it could mean "high meadow", though other sources suggest "Engla's meadow".

Enly

Cool Briggs meets on-trend -ley in this totally modern surname-style choice. Chosen by a few families on social media in 2025, it may well rank in the charts in coming years, either with this spelling or as Brigsley.

Briggsley

Likely a blend of Maeve and Everly, this name debuted in the US stats in 2024, while alternative spelling Maeverly appeared back in 2021. Similar in sound to Waverly, it could additionally be considered a blend of May and Everly ("beloved boar in the clearing"). 




Maverly

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.

Everly

A modern elaboration of vintage Hazel, Hazelie has a playful sound. It includes the popular lie suffix, which may give it the meaning "hazel meadow".

Hazelie

A modern invention, blending popular suffix -lee with celestial word name Star, this name has been appearing quietly in the US stats since 1999. Starlie is another spelling. 

Starlee

Blakeley is one of the many -ley ending surnames that is being adopted as a first name, taking the 80s unisex darling Blake into the new millennium.

Blakeley

Slightly rugged and windswept, Hindley notably appears in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, borne by the elder son of the Earnshaw family. The name of two English towns, it combines the Old English elements leah and hind meaning "meadow, clearing" and "female deer" respectively. 
 
While it could appeal as an alternative to Linden, Hadley, Hartley, and Harley, in the UK at least, it would be heavily associated with the infamous Myra Hindley, one of the Moors Murderers.

Hindley

A surname style choice that might appeal as a way to honor a Nicholas or a Colin, Colley could also work as a rare alternative to Colton, Colby, Callum, and Corey. 
 
The name has a number of possible origins which include: the Irish Kelly meaning "bright-headed" or "war-strife"; the Scottish Macaulay meaning "son of righteousness"; the classic given name, Nicholas meaning "people of victory"; the Old Norse Koli meaning "black, dark, coal"; the bird name, Colly, referring to a blackbird; or possibly as a combination of the Norse word and the suffix ley, giving it the meaning "dark clearing". 
 
Some may find the sound a little too close to that of the dog breed (Border Collie), but spelling variation Coley could lead to the KO-lee pronunciation instead.

Colley

A modern feeling choice for those who can't choose between Lainey, Lakelyn, Landry, and Ainsley, Lainley might appeal. Meaning "meadow by the lane" or perhaps "Elaine's meadow" or "shining clearing",  it made its US debut in 2024. Laneley, Lainley, Laynely, and so on might be alternative spellings. 

Lainley

An modern spelling of a modern invention, Grayli is more commonly spelled as Graylee. 

Grayli

An English surname-sounding choice with an appealing nature-inspired meaning, Farley could work as an alternative to Harley, Marley, or Charlie. 

Farley

An English surname derived from the Old French taillis, this nature inspired choice could be an alternative to Wallis or Travis. Tallis appears as the surname of the central characters in Ian McEwan's book, Atonement and the subsequent film.

Tallis

Yardley, a surname redolent of British soaps and perfume, was used for her daughter by Megyn Kelly.
 Yeardley Smith (born Martha), has long been the voice of Bart on The Simpsons.