UK name, mostly girls
Kinsley
Anglicized form of the Scottish surname Kingsley, meaning "king's meadow".
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.
Also recorded as a boys' name in the UK, with 32 boys.
Kinsley is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Kinsley popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2574, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 14 births.
This profile covers 78 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2016 to 2024. 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 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 85 living people in the UK are called Kinsley. 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
- • Kinsley ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 14 girls were registered as Kinsley.
- • Kinsley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #625 in 2022.
- • Kinsley is also recorded for boys, but the girls side is the larger UK variant in these records.
- • About 85 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kinsley as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 70.9% of Kinsley registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2574
2024
Births in 2024
10
Latest year
Peak year
2018
14 births
Estimated living
85
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Kinsley
In England and Wales birth records, Kinsley has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 29.1% of registrations are for boys and 70.9% 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.
Kinsley registered for boys
- Ranked #5,119 in 2024
- 3 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 2009 (7 births)
Kinsley registered for girls
- Ranked #2,574 in 2024
- 10 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (14 births)
Meaning
What does Kinsley mean?
Kinsley is an English given name that has its roots in the Old English language. It is believed to be derived from the combination of two words: "cyning" meaning "king" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." Thus, the name Kinsley can be interpreted as "the king's meadow" or "the meadow of the king."
The earliest recorded use of the name Kinsley dates back to the late 11th century in England. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Kinsley de Warenne, a Norman nobleman who lived during the reign of William the Conqueror in the late 11th century. He was granted lands in Yorkshire and Sussex after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
In the Middle Ages, the name Kinsley was primarily used by members of the English nobility and aristocracy. It was often associated with landowners and those who held positions of power and influence. However, over time, the name gradually spread to other social classes as well.
Kinsley has also been mentioned in various historical texts and records throughout the centuries. For instance, in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several references to places named Kinsley or variations thereof.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Kinsley. One of the earliest recorded was Kinsley de Warenne, mentioned earlier. Another was Kinsley Haviland (1564-1642), an English merchant and explorer who was one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in America.
In the 18th century, Kinsley Ingham (1736-1821) was a British politician and Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds. Kinsley Gregg (1799-1887) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 12th Governor of New Hampshire from 1855 to 1857.
In more recent times, Kinsley Amis (1922-1995) was a renowned British novelist, poet, and critic, best known for his novels such as "Lucky Jim" and "The Old Devils." He was one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Kinsley throughout history, showcasing its rich heritage and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kinsley over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Kinsley in England and Wales, from 1998 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 Kinsley, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kinsley by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kinsley 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 | #2540 | 50 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3706 | 28 | 4 |
Geography
Where Kinsley is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kinsley. 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.
Kinsley ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #625 in 2022.
Across the UK
Kinsley in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#625 in 2022
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Kinsley
- Katie 53,185
- Keira 14,411
- Katherine 11,323
- Kayleigh 10,677
- Kate 10,276
- Kelsey 7,224
- Kiera 7,218
- Kayla 6,541
- Kirsty 6,384
- Khadija 5,948
- Kimberley 5,189
- Kaitlyn 5,137
FAQ
Kinsley: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kinsley in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kinsley was ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Kinsley most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 14 babies registered as Kinsley in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kinsley?
Anglicized form of the Scottish surname Kingsley, meaning "king's meadow".
How many people are called Kinsley in the UK?
A total of 78 babies have been registered as Kinsley across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.
Where is Kinsley most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kinsley ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #625 in 2022. 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.