Hadley
Hadley is a girls' name of English origin meaning “heather meadow.” It ranked #121 in the United States in 2025. Hadley is an English place name meaning 'heather meadow,' combining Old English 'haeth' (heather) and 'leah' (clearing).
how do you pronounce Hadley?
HAD-lee
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Hadley mean?
The name Hadley means “heather meadow.” It comes from the English language tradition.
Hadley is an English place name meaning 'heather meadow,' combining Old English 'haeth' (heather) and 'leah' (clearing). It gained literary glamour through Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife and muse. The name has a preppy, sophisticated quality that has made it increasingly popular for girls since the 2000s.
where does the name Hadley come from?
A transferred English place name, from heath joined to lēah, a woodland clearing — Wikipedia glosses it as heather field. The elements are ordinary Old English and the place name occurs in more than one county.
the history of Hadley
Wikipedia records the name as having increased in use for girls in the United States in recent years. Beyond the place-name origin no older history as a given name is documented.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #121 |
| 2024 | #115 |
| 2023 | #119 |
| 2022 | #112 |
| 2021 | #112 |
| 2020 | #111 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Hadley?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Hadley?
- Hadley Richardson (Ernest Hemingway's first wife)
- Hadley Freeman (British-American journalist and author)
what names are similar to Hadley?
what names go well with Hadley?
Sibling names that share Hadley's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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