The first name Tinsley
A girl’s name from English meaning “woodland clearing”, “glade”.
2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Tinsley means “woodland clearing”, “glade” in English.
From the unattested Old English personal name *Tynni + -s- + lēah (“woodland clearing, glade”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Tinsley at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 213 girls born in the United States were named Tinsley, the 1,112th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2020, when 388 were.
4,747
babies named Tinsley since 1880
#1,112
rank in 2025
2020
peak year
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.
More English girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Tinsley mean?
- Tinsley means “woodland clearing”, “glade” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Tinsley?
- From the unattested Old English personal name *Tynni + -s- + lēah (“woodland clearing, glade”).
- Is Tinsley a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 98% of the 4,747 US babies named Tinsley since 1880 were girls.
- When was Tinsley most popular?
- 2020 in the United States, when 388 babies were named Tinsley, its highest rank at 721st.
- Is Tinsley also a surname?
- Yes. Tinsley is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.