UK name, mostly girls
Aynsley
A feminine name of Old English origin meaning "clearing on a hill".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 1996. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 5 boys.
Aynsley is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Aynsley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 1996 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3795, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 3 births.
This profile covers 3 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 1996 to 1996. 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.
Aynsley is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 44 living people in the UK are called Aynsley. 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 1997 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Aynsley ranked #3795 for girls in England and Wales in 1996, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 3 girls were registered as Aynsley.
- • Aynsley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #639 in 1995.
- • Aynsley is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 44 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aynsley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 62.5% of Aynsley registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3795
1996
Births in 1996
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
3 births
Estimated living
44
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Aynsley
In England and Wales birth records, Aynsley has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 62.5% of registrations are for boys and 37.5% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Aynsley registered for boys
- Ranked #2,022 in 1997
- 5 boys registered in 1997
- Peak: 1997 (5 births)
Aynsley registered for girls
- Ranked #3,795 in 1996
- 3 girls registered in 1996
- Peak: 1996 (3 births)
Meaning
What does Aynsley mean?
The name Aynsley is believed to have originated from the Old English personal name Æðelnoth, which was derived from the words æðele, meaning "noble," and noð, meaning "courage" or "daring." This name was popular during the Anglo-Saxon period in England, dating back to the 5th to 11th centuries.
The name Aynsley likely evolved from the Old English name through various spelling variations over time, such as Ainslie, Ainsley, and Aynslie. The earliest recorded instances of the name Aynsley can be traced back to the late 16th century in England.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Aynsley was Sir Philip Aynsley, an English landowner and Member of Parliament who lived in the 17th century (1634-1711). Another prominent individual was Robert Aynsley, an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1741.
In the 18th century, Aynsley Gooch (1737-1805) was a British Army officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. Additionally, Aynsley Lambe (1768-1838) was a British naval officer and explorer who commanded expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 19th century.
During the Victorian era, Aynsley became a popular name, particularly among the upper classes in England. One notable figure from this time was Aynsley Townshend Wray (1843-1919), a British Army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gallantry.
Throughout history, the name Aynsley has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, military figures, explorers, and landowners, reflecting its English origins and the social status it held over time.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aynsley over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Aynsley in England and Wales, from 1996 to 1997. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Aynsley, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 1996, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aynsley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aynsley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | #3795 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Aynsley is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Aynsley. 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.
Aynsley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #639 in 1995.
Across the UK
Aynsley in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#639 in 1995
11 years of NRS records, 42 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Aynsley
-
Aynsley Pears
association football player
English association football player (born 1998)
1998-
-
Aynsley Lister
singer; musician; lyricist; guitarist; songwriter
British musician
1976-
-
Aynsley Dunbar
drummer
British musician
1946-
Related
Names similar to Aynsley
- 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
Aynsley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aynsley in the UK right now?
In 1996, Aynsley was ranked #3795 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Aynsley most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 3 babies registered as Aynsley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aynsley?
A feminine name of Old English origin meaning "clearing on a hill".
How many people are called Aynsley in the UK?
A total of 3 babies have been registered as Aynsley across the 1 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 42 more in Scotland.
Where is Aynsley most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Aynsley ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #639 in 1995. 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.