UK boy's name
Astley
From an Old English surname meaning "east meadow" or "eastern meadow".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Astley is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Astley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4749, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2018 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.
Astley is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 3 living people in the UK are called Astley. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Astley ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 3 boys were registered as Astley.
- • About 3 living people in the UK are estimated to have Astley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4749
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2018
3 births
Estimated living
3
2026
Meaning
What does Astley mean?
The name Astley is a habitational name derived from the Old English words "east" and "leah," which together mean "East Wood" or "East Clearing." It originated as a place name in several locations across England, including villages and parishes in Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire.
The earliest recorded use of the name Astley dates back to the late 11th century, where it appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Estelie." This Anglo-Norman survey of landowners and estates across England mentions several individuals with the surname Astley, indicating that the name was already well-established at that time.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the given name Astley was Sir Astley de Astelay, a 13th-century knight and landowner from Warwickshire. He is mentioned in various legal records and charters from the reign of King Henry III, who ruled from 1216 to 1272.
In the 14th century, the name Astley gained prominence with the rise of the Astley family, a noble English family with roots in Staffordshire and Lancashire. Sir Thomas Astley (c. 1330-1388) was a prominent member of this family, serving as a knight and military commander during the Hundred Years' War against France.
During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, another notable figure named Astley emerged: Sir Ralph Astley (c. 1425-1483). He was a staunch supporter of the House of York and fought alongside Edward IV at the Battle of Towton in 1461, one of the bloodiest battles of the conflict.
In the 16th century, Astley became a more common given name, with several individuals bearing it recorded in various historical documents. One such person was John Astley (1507-1596), an English translator and scholar who produced an English translation of the Bible known as the "Astley Bible."
The name Astley continued to be used throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing it. These include Hugh Astley (1672-1743), an English politician and member of Parliament, and Sir Jacob Astley (1579-1652), a prominent Royalist commander during the English Civil War.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Astley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Astley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4749 | 3 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Astley
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Astley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Astley in the UK right now?
In 2018, Astley was ranked #4749 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Astley most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 3 babies registered as Astley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Astley?
From an Old English surname meaning "east meadow" or "eastern meadow".
How many people are called Astley in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Astley across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.