UK boy's name
Hawley
Of Anglo-Saxon origin, a pleasant meadow or hedged area.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Hawley is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Hawley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3848, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 18 births.
This profile covers 42 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 2016 to 2020. 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 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 42 living people in the UK are called Hawley. 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 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Hawley ranked #3848 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 18 boys were registered as Hawley.
- • About 42 living people in the UK are estimated to have Hawley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3848
2020
Births in 2020
4
Latest year
Peak year
2017
18 births
Estimated living
42
2026
Meaning
What does Hawley mean?
The given name Hawley is an English surname that has been adopted as a masculine given name. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English words 'hæg' meaning 'hay' and 'leah' meaning 'clearing' or 'meadow'. Together, these words form the meaning 'hay clearing' or 'hay meadow', likely referring to a location or area where hay was grown or harvested.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hawley can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and estates in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appeared in various spellings such as 'Hauelei' and 'Haulei', indicating its presence in the region during the Norman conquest.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hawley. One of the earliest was Sir John Hawley (c. 1320-1390), an English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He distinguished himself in battles against the French and was later appointed as the Constable of the Tower of London.
Another prominent figure was Joseph Hawley (1723-1788), an American revolutionary leader and politician. He played a significant role in the events leading up to the American Revolutionary War, serving as a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and the Continental Congress.
In the realm of literature, Hawley Crippen (1862-1910) was an American homeopathic doctor and convicted murderer. His sensational trial for the murder of his wife, Cora Crippen, garnered widespread attention and became known as one of the first cases to extensively employ forensic evidence.
Hawley Harvey Crippen (1865-1913) was an American professional baseball player who played for several teams in the late 19th century, including the St. Louis Browns and the Chicago Colts.
Lastly, Hawley Pratt (1911-1965) was an American film director and screenwriter best known for his work on several Western and action films in the 1940s and 1950s, including "The Lawless Breed" and "The Cimarron Kid".
While the name Hawley has its roots in Old English, it has endured through the centuries and continues to be used as a given name, carrying with it a rich history and connection to notable individuals across various fields.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Hawley over time
The chart below shows babies named Hawley registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2016 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Hawley, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2020, compared with 18 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hawley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Hawley 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 | #3848 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #1908 | 38 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Hawley
- 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
Hawley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Hawley in the UK right now?
In 2020, Hawley was ranked #3848 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Hawley most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 18 babies registered as Hawley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Hawley?
Of Anglo-Saxon origin, a pleasant meadow or hedged area.
How many people are called Hawley in the UK?
A total of 42 babies have been registered as Hawley across the 4 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.