Given name & surname
Berkeley
“from the meadow of birch trees”
Berkeley is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the meadow of birch trees.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the meadow of birch trees.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
From Old English beorc (“birch”), built from English birch + -leigh (“lea”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Berkeley through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,973
- 900 boys · 2,073 girls
- Most popular year
- 2016
- 133 babies
- 2025
- 81
- #2,490 for girls · #7,743 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 12% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 71 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,490 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 27.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 119 in 2017. It also appeared in 10 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,130 as a first name in 2020; 1,344 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Berkeley’s family of names
Berkeley has a related form in Berkley. Berkeley has a related form in Berk. Berkeley has a related form in Berke.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 20
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Berkeley
- Berkeley L. BunkerAmerican politician (1906-1999)
- Berkeley BreathedAmerican cartoonistborn 1957
- Berkeley BellAmerican tennis player (1907-1967)
- Berkeley GaskinWest Indian cricketer (1908-1979)
- Berkeley Moreton, 4th Earl of DuciePolitician, British peer1834–1924
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Berkeley, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Harley
“from the meadow of the hares”
20% boys · 80% girls
Presley
“of the priest's town” · “from the priest's meadow”
7% boys · 93% girls
Marley
“from the meadow near the lake”
13% boys · 87% girls
Marilla
“of the shining sea”
>99% girls
Lemon
“resembling the fruit”
>99% girls
Blakely
“from the dark meadow”
1% boys · 99% girls
Coral
Coral is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “resembling the semiprecious sea growth; from the reef.”
>99% girls
Stella
“star of the sea”
>99% girls