UK name, mostly boys
Hartley
A masculine name of English origin meaning "stag meadow" or "deer clearing".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Hartley is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Hartley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1460, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2015, with 25 births.
This profile covers 232 England and Wales registrations across 19 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. 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.
The latest count is about 72% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 231 living people in the UK are called Hartley. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Hartley ranked #1460 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2015, when 25 boys were registered as Hartley.
- • About 231 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hartley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 87.5% of Hartley registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1460
2024
Births in 2024
18
Latest year
Peak year
2015
25 births
Estimated living
231
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Hartley
In England and Wales birth records, Hartley has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 87.5% of registrations are for boys and 12.5% 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.
Hartley registered for boys
- Ranked #1,460 in 2024
- 18 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2015 (25 births)
Hartley registered for girls
- Ranked #4,843 in 2024
- 4 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2016 (8 births)
Meaning
What does Hartley mean?
The name Hartley is an English name derived from the Old English words "heorot" meaning hart or stag, and "leah" meaning meadow or clearing. It originated as a surname in regions like Yorkshire, where the name referred to someone who lived near a meadow frequented by deer or stags.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Hartley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a place name. The name gradually transitioned from a locational surname to a given name over the centuries.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Hartley, one notable individual was David Hartley (1705-1757), an English philosopher and founder of the Associationist school of psychology. His work, "Observations on Man, his Frame, his Duty, and his Expectations," published in 1749, explored the association of ideas and the nature of human consciousness.
Another prominent figure was Jesse Hartley (1768-1849), an American lawyer and politician who served as the third Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 1824 to 1828.
In the realm of literature, Hartley Coleridge (1796-1849), the eldest son of the famous poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, was a writer and essayist in his own right. He published works such as "Biographia Borealis" and "Poems, Songs and Sonnets."
In the world of sports, Hartley Batey (1884-1964) was an English professional footballer who played as a forward for clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers and Preston North End in the early 20th century.
Lastly, Hartley Burr Alexander (1873-1939) was an American philosopher and educator who served as the president of Scripps College and the University of Missouri. He wrote several books on topics like metaphysics and ethics.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have carried the name Hartley, illustrating its longevity and widespread usage across various fields.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hartley over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Hartley in England and Wales, from 2004 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Hartley, the clearest high point is 2015. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 25 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hartley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hartley 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 | #2070 | 58 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1690 | 156 | 10 |
| 2000s | #3261 | 18 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Hartley
- Harry 141,693
- Henry 65,177
- Harrison 45,958
- Harvey 35,648
- Harley 22,095
- Hugo 18,779
- Hayden 12,622
- Hunter 10,350
- Hudson 9,104
- Hamza 8,564
- Hassan 5,982
- Hasan 3,599
FAQ
Hartley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hartley in the UK right now?
In 2024, Hartley was ranked #1460 for boys in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.
When was Hartley most popular?
The peak year on record was 2015, with 25 babies registered as Hartley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hartley?
A masculine name of English origin meaning "stag meadow" or "deer clearing".
How many people are called Hartley in the UK?
A total of 232 babies have been registered as Hartley across the 19 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.