girl's name · in the US
Blakely
BLAYK-lee (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl (US)
- Syllables 2
- Letters 7
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 23,367
the United States
#191
2025 births
Blakely is a name of Old English origin meaning either "black clearing" or "pale clearing." It inherits the same ambiguity as Blake — two Old English words differing by one vowel that scribes could not reliably tell apart.
- Blakely is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2024, when 1,905 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,014 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1920.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Blakely Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1920s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1920s | 23 |
| 1930s | 5 |
| 1940s | 6 |
| 1950s | 17 |
| 1960s | 71 |
| 1970s | 154 |
| 1980s | 448 |
| 1990s | 633 |
| 2000s | 942 |
| 2010s | 8,976 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 10,761 |
What Blakely Means
Blakely means the dark wood or clearing, and equally the pale one. The second element is leah, a woodland clearing; the first is either blæc, black, or blac, pale.
Where Blakely Comes From
Blakely combines the Old English leah, a clearing, with a first element that is ambiguous: blæc means black and blac means pale, and medieval scribes wrote them almost identically. English place names with the element therefore cannot be resolved, and the surname Blakely carries both possibilities — as does Blake, separately on this site. Its use as a first name is recent, American and predominantly female, following the -ly pattern of Everly and Kimberly.
Blakely in Use
Birth records show Blakely rising and it first appears in birth records in 1920, making it one of the newest names on this site. It sits with Blake on record as the only pair on record where both entries share the same genuine one-vowel ambiguity — a name meaning a thing and its opposite.
How Popular Is Blakely?
In 2025, Blakely was given to 1,646 babies in the United States, ranking #191 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Blakely 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 Blakely
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Blakely Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Blakely over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Blakely 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 · 16,151 babies
- Canada Girls' 100% girls · 851 babies
- England & Wales Both 58% girls · 263 babies
How to Say Blakely
- English BLAYK-lee /ˈbleɪkli/
1 nickname for Blakely
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Blakely 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.
Sibling Names for Blakely
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Blakely — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Blakely
What does the name Blakely mean?
Either "black clearing" or "pale clearing" — the Old English blæc and blac differ by one vowel and were confused in writing.
Is Blakely related to Blake?
Yes, and both carry the same ambiguity between black and pale.
Is Blakely a new name?
Very. It is on record from 1991.
How popular is the name Blakely?
In 2025, Blakely was given to 1,646 babies in the United States, ranking #191 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Blakely a girl's or a boy's name?
Blakely is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Blakely?
Blakely has 2 syllables.
When was Blakely most popular?
Blakely peaked in 2024, when 1,905 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Blakely?
Blakely is usually shortened to Blake.
Is Blakely a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Blakely currently ranks #191 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.