Given name & surname
Kingsley
“from the king's meadow”
Kingsley is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the king's meadow.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the king's meadow.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is 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.
Kingsley through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 8,874
- 6,709 boys · 2,165 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 667 babies
- 2025
- 315
- #1,096 for boys · #1,719 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −20%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 69% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 196 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,096 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 32.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 473 in 2016. It also appeared in 119 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (20). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,673 as a first name in 2020; 7,959 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.
Kingsley’s family of names
Kingsley has a related form in Kinsley. Kingsley has a related form in Kinsley. Kingsley has a related form in Kinslee.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Kingsley
- Kingsley AmisEnglish novelist, poet, critic and teacher (1922-1995)
- Kingsley ComanFrench footballer (born 1996)
- Kingsley MaduNigerian footballerborn 1995
- Kingsley EhizibueDutch association football playerborn 1995
- Kingsley ObiekwuNigerian footballerborn 1974
- Kingsley WoodBritish politician (1881-1943)
- KCeeNigerian singer-songwriterborn 1979
- Kingsley BoatengGhanaian footballerborn 1994
- Kingsley DavisAmerican sociologist and demographer (1908–1997)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Kingsley, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Royal
“of the king; a regal man”
69% boys · 31% girls
Kit
“having great strength”
53% boys · 47% girls
Sawyer
“a woodcutter” · “one who works with wood”
73% boys · 27% girls
Rowan
“of the red-berry tree”
74% boys · 26% girls
River
“from the river”
65% boys · 35% girls
Quincy
“the fifth-born child”
66% boys · 34% girls
Zariel
“the lion princess”
50% boys · 50% girls
Wynn
“one who is fairskinned” · “a beloved friend”
49% boys · 51% girls