UK girl's name
Airlie
A Scottish name meaning "fertile plain by a river".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Airlie is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Airlie popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4709, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 5 births.
This profile covers 31 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2000 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 48 living people in the UK are called Airlie. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Airlie ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 5 girls were registered as Airlie.
- • Airlie ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #540 in 2023.
- • About 48 living people in the UK are estimated to have Airlie as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4709
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
2018
5 births
Estimated living
48
2026
Meaning
What does Airlie mean?
The name Airlie is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word "arlie," which means "a meadow." It is believed to have originated in the 12th century in Scotland, where it was initially used as a place name before becoming a personal name.
The earliest recorded use of the name Airlie as a personal name dates back to the late 16th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was David Ogilvy, 1st Lord Ogilvy of Airlie, who lived from 1551 to 1633. He was a Scottish nobleman and one of the principal leaders of the Scottish Reformation.
In the 17th century, Airlie became a popular name among Scottish aristocratic families, particularly in the Angus and Perthshire regions. Notable individuals from this period include James Ogilvy, 4th Earl of Airlie (1663-1731), a Scottish peer and Jacobite supporter, and David Ogilvy, 5th Earl of Airlie (1725-1770), a Scottish nobleman and soldier.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the name Airlie spread beyond Scotland and gained popularity in other parts of the British Isles. One notable bearer of the name was David Graham Drummond Ogilvy, 10th Earl of Airlie (1785-1849), a Scottish peer and Lord Lieutenant of Angus.
In the 20th century, the name Airlie became more widely used outside of Scotland and the United Kingdom. One notable example is Airlie Wonigar (1913-1997), an Australian Aboriginal activist and author who played a significant role in advocating for the rights of Aboriginal Australians.
Another notable individual with the name Airlie was Airlie Donald Hay (1915-1985), a British soldier and World War II veteran who served in the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery during the Battle of Normandy.
While the name Airlie has its roots in Scotland, it has since gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. Its connection to the Scottish Gaelic language and its historical associations with Scottish nobility and aristocracy have contributed to its enduring charm and appeal.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Airlie over time
The chart below shows babies named Airlie registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2000 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Airlie, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Airlie by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Airlie was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5126 | 14 | 4 |
| 2010s | #5106 | 11 | 3 |
| 2000s | #4255 | 6 | 2 |
Geography
Where Airlie is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Airlie. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Airlie ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #540 in 2023.
Across the UK
Airlie in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#540 in 2023
4 years of NRS records, 17 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Airlie
-
Airlie Anderson
rock climber
British rock climber
Related
Names similar to Airlie
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Airlie: questions and answers
How popular is the name Airlie in the UK right now?
In 2023, Airlie was ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Airlie most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 5 babies registered as Airlie in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Airlie?
A Scottish name meaning "fertile plain by a river".
How many people are called Airlie in the UK?
A total of 31 babies have been registered as Airlie across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 17 more in Scotland.
Where is Airlie most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Airlie ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #540 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.