Whitley
83% girls · 17% boys
About Whitley
Used occasionally for boys since the early 20th century, Whitley became a hit for girls in the 80s following its use in the show It's a Different World. Recent years have seen it come back into style and this time, it's on the rise for boys too. While it is still used for girls nearly 85% of the time, it has doubled in popularity for boys since 2020.
Whitley for girls#677 US
Surname style Whitley emerged in the late 1980s as a spin on the (then) mega-popular Whitney, rising dramatically from obscurity to the Top 500 after it featured on a character in the TV sitcom, A Different World. By the mid-90s, it was out of style, but the recent appeal of retro names has saw it return to the US charts in 2018.
Derived from an Old English place name meaning "white meadow", it was given to more than 400 girls (and nearly 80 boys) in the latest count.
Pronounced WIT-lee.
As of October 2026, Whitley ranked #1823 for boys and #677 for girls in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #446 for girls in 1988.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · boys | Births · boys | US rank · girls | Births · girls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | — | 0 | #1,239 | 197 |
| 2015 | — | 0 | #1,144 | 222 |
| 2016 | #3,437 | 33 | #1,047 | 251 |
| 2017 | #2,886 | 42 | #1,008 | 258 |
| 2018 | #2,792 | 44 | #998 | 262 |
| 2019 | #2,734 | 47 | #942 | 281 |
| 2020 | #3,131 | 37 | #946 | 271 |
| 2021 | #2,619 | 50 | #859 | 320 |
| 2022 | #2,295 | 63 | #886 | 315 |
| 2023 | #1,966 | 79 | #735 | 383 |
| 2024 | #2,004 | 77 | #682 | 417 |
| 2025 | #1,823 | 88 | #677 | 420 |
World rankings
Whitley for boys
Whitley for girls
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Whitley on lists
Famous Whitleys
- (Louis) Whitley StrieberGirl
American male horror novelist
- Whitley StokesGirl
Irish male lawyer and Celtic scholar
Whitley in pop culture
- Whitley GilbertGirl
character on TV's "A Different World"
- Whitley JohnsonGirl
character in "A Midsummer's Nightmare" by Garry Kilworth