Given name & surname
Lindley
“from the pastureland”·“from the meadow of linden trees”
Lindley is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “from the pastureland” (English) and “from the meadow of linden trees” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “from the pastureland” (English) and “from the meadow of linden trees” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
From Old English līn (“flax”), from Old English lind (“lime tree”), built from English line + -leigh (“lea”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1895. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Lindley through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,628
- 628 boys · 1,000 girls
- Most popular year
- 1988
- 91 babies
- 2025
- 13
- #8,143 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −22%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 13 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 8,143 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 21.7% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 91 in 1988. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,300 as a first name in 2020; 9,777 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.
Lindley’s family of names
Lindley has a related form in Leland. Lindley has a related form in Lindlea. Lindley has a related form in Lindleah.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 16
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Lindley
- Lindley Miller Garrisonlawyer, U.S. Secretary of War (1864-1932)
- Lindley MurrayAmerican grammarian and lawyer (1745-1826)
- Lindley BeckworthAmerican politician (1913-1984)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Lindley, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Halley
“from the hall near the meadow”
>99% girls
Whitley
“from the white meadow”
15% boys · 85% girls
Carley
“from the farmer's meadow”
>99% girls
Gardenia
“resembling the sweetsmelling flower”
>99% girls
Afton
“from the Afton river”
16% boys · 84% girls
Shelley
“from the bank's meadow” · “from the meadow's ledge”
>99% girls
Holly
“of the holly tree”
>99% girls
Raven
Raven is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “resembling the black bird; a dark and mysterious beauty” (English) and “resembling the blackbird; a dark and mysterious man” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
5% boys · 95% girls