girl's name · in the US
Ainsley
AYNZ-lee (English)
- Origin Scottish, English
- Gender Girl (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 24,685
the United States
#483
2025 births
Ainsley is a name of English and Scottish use, given mainly to girls, from a surname meaning "solitary clearing." It comes from the Old English ān, "one," and lēah, "clearing," and similar place names exist in Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire.
- Ainsley is a name of Scottish, English origin.
- Peaked in 2014, when 1,013 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,271 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1950.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ainsley Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 10 |
| 1960s | 28 |
| 1970s | 138 |
| 1980s | 424 |
| 1990s | 862 |
| 2000s | 6,464 |
| 2010s | 9,066 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,904 |
What Ainsley Means
Ainsley means a lone clearing, or one's own meadow. The Bump also gives hermitage, because the first element may reflect Old English ānsetl, the home of a hermit.
Where Ainsley Comes From
Places called Annesley in Nottinghamshire and Ansley in Warwickshire are explained either through ān, one, plus lēah, or through ānsetl, a hermitage, plus lēah. Families took surnames from such places, and Ainslie became established in the Scottish Borders. The modern forms include Ainslie, Ainsley, Aynsley and Ainslee. As a first name it appears for boys first in US records. American parents later adopted it for girls, in step with Ashley and Kinsley. The double meaning follows from the medieval records.
Ainsley in Use
Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt and English chef Ainsley Harriott show it on both sides of the gender line. The spelling Ainslie is more usual in Scotland.
How Popular Is Ainsley?
In 2025, Ainsley was given to 629 babies in the United States, ranking #483 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Ainsley Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Ainsley
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Ainsley Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ainsley over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Ainsley is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Girls' 99% girls · 7,235 babies
- Canada Girls' 99% girls · 923 babies
- England & Wales Both 53% girls · 88 babies
How to Say Ainsley
- English AYNZ-lee
Ainsley in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Ainslie
Sibling Names for Ainsley
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Ainsley — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Ainsley
What does the name Ainsley mean?
Solitary clearing, from Old English.
Is Ainsley a boy's or a girl's name?
It's used for both, mainly for girls in the United States.
How do you pronounce Ainsley?
AYNZ-lee.
How popular is the name Ainsley?
In 2025, Ainsley was given to 629 babies in the United States, ranking #483 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
How many syllables are in Ainsley?
Ainsley has 2 syllables.
When was Ainsley most popular?
Ainsley peaked in 2014, when 1,013 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Ainsley a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ainsley currently ranks #483 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.