The first name Hadley
A girl’s name from English meaning “heath”, “woodland clearing”.
Pronounced /ˈhædli/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Hadley means “heath”, “woodland clearing” in English.
From Old English hǣþ (“heath”) + Old English leah (“woodland clearing”). Equivalent to heath (compare Heath) + -ley.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 56 boys were named Hadley, making it the 650th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 97 births (#433).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Hadley with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Hadley at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,254 girls born in the United States were named Hadley, the 121st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2014, when 3,015 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
Famous people named Hadley
10 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- James Hadley ChaseBritish writer (1906–1985)
- Hadley RichardsonFirst wife of author Ernest Hemingway (1891–1979)
- Hadley FraserBritish actor, born 1980
- Hadley FreemanAmerican-British journalist, born 1978
- Hadley RobinsonAmerican actress, born 1995
- Hadley CalimanAmerican saxophonist (1932-2010)
- Albert Hadley Cantril Jr.American psychologist (1906-1969)
- Felicity JonesBritish actress (born 1983)
- Mariel HemingwayAmerican actress and author, born 1961
- James H. Billington13th Librarian of Congress (1929–2018)
More English girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Hadley mean?
- Hadley means “heath”, “woodland clearing” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Hadley?
- From Old English hǣþ (“heath”) + Old English leah (“woodland clearing”). Equivalent to heath (compare Heath) + -ley.
- How popular is the name Hadley?
- In 2025, 56 boys born in England and Wales were named Hadley, ranking 650th. Its peak was 2018, with 97 births.
- Is Hadley a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 96% of the 48,691 US babies named Hadley since 1880 were girls.
- When was Hadley most popular?
- 2014 in the United States, when 3,015 babies were named Hadley, its highest rank at 100th.
- How do you pronounce Hadley?
- Hadley is /ˈhædli/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Hadley?
- Adley, Hadlee and Hadleigh.
- Is Hadley also a surname?
- Yes. Hadley is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.