The first name Ainsley
A girl’s name meaning “alone”, “solitary”, “hermitage”.
Pronounced /ˈeɪnzli/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Ainsley means “alone”, “solitary”, “hermitage”.
Habitational surname for someone from Annesley, Nottinghamshire or Ansley, Warwickshire, both from Old English anne (“alone, solitary”) or ānsetl (“hermitage”) + lēah (“woodland, clearing”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 11 girls were named Ainsley, making it the 2,440th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 52 births (#410).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ainsley with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ainsley at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 621 girls born in the United States were named Ainsley, the 483rd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2014, when 1,001 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Ainslie
- Ansley
- Annesley
- Ainslee
Famous people named Ainsley
3 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ainsley Maitland-NilesEnglish association football player, born 1997
- Ainsley HarriottBritish cook, television personality, author, born 1957
- Ainsley BennettBritish sprinter, born 1954
Questions
- What does the name Ainsley mean?
- Ainsley means “alone”, “solitary”, “hermitage”.
- How popular is the name Ainsley?
- In 2025, 11 girls born in England and Wales were named Ainsley, ranking 2,440th. Its peak was 1997, with 52 births.
- Is Ainsley a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 98% of the 20,896 US babies named Ainsley since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ainsley most popular?
- 2014 in the United States, when 1,001 babies were named Ainsley, its highest rank at 337th.
- How do you pronounce Ainsley?
- Ainsley is /ˈeɪnzli/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Ainsley?
- Ainslie, Ansley, Annesley and Ainslee.
- Is Ainsley also a surname?
- Yes. Ainsley is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.