The first name Kenley
A unisex name meaning “a man's name”, “woodland clearing”.
2 syllables Unisex Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Kenley means “a man's name”, “woodland clearing”.
* Shortened from McKenley, variant of McKinley * Habitational from Old English Cena (“a man's name”) + lēah (“woodland clearing”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 6 boys were named Kenley, making it the 3,256th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2010, with 20 births (#1,241).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Kenley with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Kenley at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 127 girls born in the United States were named Kenley, the 1,638th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2012, when 614 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 Kenley
1 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Kenley JansenCuraçaoan professional baseball player (born 1987)
Questions
- What does the name Kenley mean?
- Kenley means “a man's name”, “woodland clearing”.
- How popular is the name Kenley?
- In 2025, 6 boys born in England and Wales were named Kenley, ranking 3,256th. Its peak was 2010, with 20 births.
- Is Kenley a boy's or a girl's name?
- Both. Of the 8,451 US babies named Kenley since 1880, 86% were girls and 14% boys.
- When was Kenley most popular?
- 2012 in the United States, when 614 babies were named Kenley, its highest rank at 499th.
- What are other spellings of Kenley?
- Kinley and Kynlee.
- Is Kenley also a surname?
- Yes. Kenley is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.