Stanley
Stanley was the 863rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 278 babies. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked 34th; the most babies were born in 1954 (6,448). Over the last ten years it has moved down 171 places. More babies were named Stanley in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning stony clearing · English, Old English
Say it STAN-lee /ˈstænli/
- Rank in 2025
- #863 boys, down 128 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 278boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19546,448 babies
- Total since 1880
- 302,862babies recorded
What does the name Stanley mean?
Stanley is an English surname from several places named Stanley, from Old English stān 'stone' and lēah 'clearing, meadow', so 'stony clearing'. The Stanley family, Earls of Derby, made the name prominent, and explorer Henry Morton Stanley made it famous in the 19th century. It became a common first name in the early 20th century and was also used, Wiktionary notes, to anglicize Polish Stanisław and similar names.
stān (Old English, “stone”)lēah (Old English, “clearing, meadow”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Stan, Stanislaus, Stanislav.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Stanley', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Stanisław', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Nicknames for Stanley
The usual nicknames for Stanley are Stan.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stan | Traditional | #10,534 | 38 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Stanleys go by each one.
Stanley popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,437 since 1900.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #863 | 278 |
| 2020 | #735 | 335 |
| 2010 | #683 | 347 |
| 2000 | #505 | 453 |
| 1990 | #313 | 809 |
| 1980 | #221 | 1,096 |
| 1970 | #157 | 1,949 |
| 1960 | #100 | 4,221 |
| 1950 | #60 | 5,453 |
| 1940 | #59 | 3,694 |
| 1930 | #49 | 4,383 |
| 1920 | #40 | 5,314 |
| 1910 | #47 | 761 |
| 1900 | #77 | 342 |
| 1890 | #78 | 223 |
| 1880 | #191 | 65 |
How popular is Stanley, counting every spelling?
Stanley is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #826 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #863 for Stanley on its own. Together these spellings went to 283 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanley | 278 | #863 | 1,497 |
| Stanlee | 5 | #13,631 | 31 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Stanley?
278 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Stanley (0.08 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Stanley born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 30 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Stanley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Stanley?
About 122,000 people born in the US named Stanley are alive today, with a median age of 67; half are between 53 and 75. That makes Stanley a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Stanley by state
How common Stanley was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Michigan (2.1×), Minnesota (2.0×), Maryland (1.9×), Wisconsin (1.9×), Colorado (1.6×). In 21 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Stanley: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Stanley, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Stanley · Sibling names for Stanley
Questions about the name Stanley
What does Stanley mean?
Stanley means “stony clearing” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Stanley?
Stanley was the 863rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 278 babies. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked 34th; the most babies were born in 1954 (6,448). Over the last ten years it has moved down 171 places. More babies were named Stanley in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Stanley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Stanley in the US.
Where is Stanley most popular?
In 2021–2025, Stanley was most common in Michigan (0.36 per 1,000 boys), followed by Minnesota and Maryland.