Whitley
Whitley is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Whitley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Whitley is a name with a single cultural origin: English.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Whitley
As a girl name
American parents first put Whitley on the record books as a girl name in 1984, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1988, when 508 Whitleys were born — ranking #446 that year. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 30% of all recorded Whitleys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #665 among girl names with 441 births, rising sharply (+42% over the past five years). In total, more than 9K Whitleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Whitley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2026: 90 births, good for #1,829 nationwide. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 52% of all recorded Whitleys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,829 among boy names with 90 births, rising sharply (+79% over the past five years). In total, more than 930 Whitleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Whitley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Whitley 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 Whitley
What does the name Whitley mean?
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How popular is Whitley in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Whitley most popular?
Is Whitley a unisex name?
What names go well with Whitley?
About the name Whitley
Whitley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 9K births in the dataset. Whitley's peak popularity came in 1988 when it ranked #446. Use the chart and map above to compare Whitley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1988 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "W" →
- Browse all girl 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.