Kingsley

Gender: Boy
Say it: KINGZ-lee
Origin: English
UK rank, 2025: #350 for boys
US rank, 2025: #1,095 for boys

Kingsley is a boys' name of English origin, meaning “king's wood or clearing”. In 2025 it ranked 350th for boys in the UK (135 babies) and 1,095th for boys in the US (196 babies).

What does Kingsley mean?

English: English surname from place names

“king's wood or clearing”

From English place names meaning king's clearing; the novelist Kingsley Amis, author of Lucky Jim, bore it as a first name.

Is Kingsley a girl's or a boy's name?

Kingsley is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 135 boys in the UK and 119 girls and 196 boys in the US.

How popular is Kingsley in the UK?

Rank in 2025: 350th among boys
Babies in 2025: 135 about 1 in 2,200 boys
Five-year trend: Steady down 24% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 135 boys in the UK were named Kingsley, making it the 350th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 298th. Its busiest year was 2019, with 181 boys.

Half of all the boys named Kingsley in the UK since 1996 were born between 2012 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 329th in England and Wales and 495th in Scotland.

1996Busiest: 181 in 20192025

Kingsley in the UK, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	135	#350
2024	126	#378
2023	117	#393
2022	174	#294
2021	174	#302
2020	175	#298
2019	181	#300
2018	142	#359
2017	141	#374
2016	127	#398
2015	73	#578
2014	71	#577
2013	53	#699
2012	51	#718
2011	65	#587
2010	57	#639
2009	41	#782
2008	40	#795
2007	38	#796
2006	37	#772
2005	33	#812
2004	29	#822
2003	23	#923
2002	12	#1,312
2001	21	#871
2000	18	#955
1999	28	#683
1998	32	#620
1997	40	#522
1996	28	#629

How popular is Kingsley in the US?

Rank in 2025: 1,095th among boys
Babies in 2025: 196 about 1 in 8,700 boys
Five-year trend: Falling down 43% in five years
Same name in a class: under 1% chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 196 boys in the US were named Kingsley, making it the 1,095th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 625th. Its busiest year was 2016, with 473 boys. It first appears in the records in 1907. 119 girls were also named Kingsley in 2025 (1,710th for girls).

It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 5 years. 2025 had fewer boys named Kingsley than any year since 2011.

Half of all the boys named Kingsley in the US since 1880 were born between 2010 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 207 boys in the US were given Kingsley or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #973, up from #1,095 for this spelling alone.

Kingsley 196
Kingslee 11

Girls were 17% of the babies named Kingsley in the US in 1982, and 38% in 2025.

1907Busiest: 473 in 20162025

Kingsley in the US, year by year

Year	Boys	Rank
2025	196	#1,095
2024	229	#983
2023	286	#849
2022	350	#738
2021	376	#702
2020	429	#625
2019	418	#643
2018	403	#643
2017	394	#653
2016	473	#584
2015	323	#749
2014	309	#760
2013	220	#927
2012	244	#863
2011	196	#991
2010	201	#980
2009	87	#1,754
2008	69	#2,027
2007	43	#2,764
2006	39	#2,880
2005	30	#3,315
2004	17	#4,788
2003	26	#3,438
2002	40	#2,466
2001	26	#3,316
2000	34	#2,669
1999	21	#3,586
1998	38	#2,309
1997	23	#3,155
1996	26	#2,833
1995	27	#2,680
1994	32	#2,387
1993	31	#2,393
1992	36	#2,123
1991	23	#2,822
1990	26	#2,548
1989	31	#2,200
1988	26	#2,300
1987	23	#2,396
1986	27	#2,094
1985	29	#1,974
1984	26	#2,035
1983	26	#2,016
1982	29	#1,889
1981	20	#2,417
1980	12	#3,429
1979	13	#3,167
1978	14	#2,928
1977	20	#2,270
1976	10	#3,469
1975	13	#2,900
1974	9	#3,556
1973	18	#2,214
1972	10	#3,150
1971	8	#3,656
1970	13	#2,620
1969	6	#3,934
1968	9	#2,906
1967	6	#3,557
1966	6	#3,535
1965	8	#2,980
1964	8	#3,049
1963	9	#2,857
1962	8	#3,039
1961	7	#3,354
1960	8	#3,075
1959	10	#2,662
1958	9	#2,816
1957	14	#2,189
1956	8	#2,967
1955	8	#2,962
1954	11	#2,448
1953	10	#2,530
1952	9	#2,678
1951	10	#2,493
1950	12	#2,206
1949	10	#2,452
1948	8	#2,787
1947	13	#2,168
1946	12	#2,142
1945	7	#2,742
1944	16	#1,737
1943	25	#1,398
1942	13	#2,041
1941	15	#1,821
1940	10	#2,322
1939	16	#1,712
1938	7	#2,868
1937	7	#2,905
1936	9	#2,451
1935	8	#2,719
1934	5	#3,677
1933	0	–
1932	14	#1,995
1931	7	#3,094
1930	8	#3,020
1929	11	#2,451
1928	5	#4,149
1927	11	#2,523
1926	6	#3,706
1925	10	#2,753
1924	18	#1,894
1923	8	#3,173
1922	12	#2,485
1921	7	#3,516
1920	13	#2,335
1919	21	#1,623
1918	14	#2,164
1917	14	#2,090
1916	14	#2,042
1915	9	#2,620
1914	11	#1,974
1913	9	#1,944
1912	5	#2,543
1911	0	–
1910	0	–
1909	0	–
1908	0	–
1907	7	#1,093

Names like Kingsley

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Oakley, Marley, Grayson, Hudson, Finley, Riley, Jaxon, Rowan, Brody, Remy, Sonny, Archer

Other spellings of Kingsley

Kingslee

Names related to Kingsley

Kingsly

More English names

Lily, Evelyn, Ivy, Harper, Grace, Violet, Willow, Daisy, Poppy, Mason, Cooper, Ruby, Hallie, Hazel, Carter, Harrison

Every English name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Kingsley: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kingsley, updated 20 October 2026.