Given name & surname · also American, Old English
Hartley
“a warmhearted woman”·“from the stag's meadow”
Hartley is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a warmhearted woman” (American) and “from the stag's meadow” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a warmhearted woman” (American) and “from the stag's meadow” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old English.
How it developed
It entered given-name use through an existing surname.
The story
Its naming history includes the use of a family name as a given name.
Hartley through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,827
- 1,608 boys · 2,219 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 176 babies
- 2025
- 174
- #1,453 for girls · #4,076 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +5%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 15% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 148 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,453 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 0.8% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 26 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (16). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,225 as a first name in 2020; 29,504 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.
Hartley’s family of names
Hartley has a related form in Hartlea. Hartley has a related form in Hartleah. Hartley has a related form in Hartlee.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Hartley
- Hartley SawyerAmerican actorborn 1985
- Hartley ShawcrossBritish politician (1902-2003)
- Hartley PowerBritish actor (1894–1966)1893–1966
- Hartley ColeridgeBritish poet, biographer, essayist, and teacher (1796-1849)
- Hartley T. FerrarIrish geologist, botanical collector and scientific collector (1879 - 1932)
- Hartley Burr AlexanderAmerican philosopher, writer, educator, scholar, poet and iconographer (1873-1939)
- Leo OgnallBritish writer (1908–1979)
- Hartley Rogers Jr.American mathematician (1926–2015)
- Hartley Withersfinancial journalist 1867-1950
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Hartley, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Harley
“from the meadow of the hares”
20% boys · 80% girls
Hallie
“from the hall” · “woman of the sea”
>99% girls
Winter
“born during the winter season”
6% boys · 94% girls
Presley
“of the priest's town” · “from the priest's meadow”
7% boys · 93% girls
Poppy
“resembling the red flower”
>99% girls
Marilla
“of the shining sea”
>99% girls
Blakely
“from the dark meadow”
1% boys · 99% girls
Wren
“resembling a small songbird”
13% boys · 87% girls