Chesley
Chesley is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:
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 →
The Story of Chesley
As a girl name
Chesley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1921, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1989, when 32 Chesleys were born — ranking #3,253 that year. As of 2026, Chesley ranks #12,180 for girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 625 Chesleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through 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. Its peak popularity came in 1923, when 48 Chesleys were born — ranking #1,008 that year. As of 2026, Chesley ranks #9,707 for boys with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 2K Chesleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through 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?
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.