Chesley
Chesley is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
- English
Meaning & Origin of Chesley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Chesley is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Chesley
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Chesley as a girl name dates back to 1921, when 5 babies received it. 1989 was its biggest year on record, with 32 newborns named Chesley — #3,253 in the national rankings. About 31% of every Chesley on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. Chesley last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 625 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Chesley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1923: 48 births, good for #1,008 nationwide. Chesley last appeared in the published SSA data in 2021, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Chesley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Chesley is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chesley
What does the name Chesley mean?
What is the origin of the name Chesley?
How popular is Chesley in 2026?
When was Chesley most popular?
In which U.S. states is Chesley most popular?
Is Chesley a unisex name?
What names go well with Chesley?
About the name Chesley
Chesley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Chesley's peak popularity came in 1923 when it ranked #1,008. Use the chart and map above to compare Chesley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1923 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.