Given name & surname
Chesley
“from the meadow”
Chesley is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the meadow.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the meadow.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Chesley through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,919
- 2,294 boys · 625 girls
- Most popular year
- 1923
- 48 babies
- 2025
- 11
- #7,283 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −11%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,283 among boys’ names. The recent annual counts are too incomplete to establish a ten-year comparison. Its largest published annual count for boys was 48 in 1923. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,610 as a first name in 2020; 2,606 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.
Chesley’s family of names
Chesley has a related form in Cheslea. Chesley has a related form in Chesleah. Chesley has a related form in Cheslee.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Chesleavariant
- Chesleighvariant
- Cheslievariant
- Chessleylikely variant
- Chisleyvariant · English
- Chesleevariant
- Chesleahvariant
- Cheslyvariant
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People named Chesley
- Sully SullenbergerAmerican commercial airline pilotborn 1951
- Chesley BonestellAmerican science fiction and space illustrator (1888-1986)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Chesley, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Merrill
“of the shining sea”
51% boys · 49% girls
Jewell
“one who is playful; resembling a precious gem”
21% boys · 79% girls
Elzie
“from the nobleman's estate”
19% boys · 81% girls
Sidney
“from the wide meadow”
49% boys · 51% girls
Garnet
“resembling the dark-red gem”
33% boys · 67% girls
Eacott
“river, running stream”
—
Liddell
“loud, River Lid”
64% boys · 36% girls
Larkspur
“resembling the blue flower”
43% boys · 57% girls