Find out how popular the first name Ainsley has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.
A feminine name of English origin meaning "from the meadow enclosure".
Based on the last 50 years of data, Ainsley is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 98% of people named Ainsley being female.
For the most recent data in 2023, there were 496 female babies and 9 male babies born with the name Ainsley.
Yes—according to the SSA data, 9 baby boys were named Ainsley in 2023, despite it being a predominantly female name. We'd love to know why!
Year | Male Count | Female Count |
---|---|---|
2023 | 9 | 496 |
2022 | 11 | 620 |
2021 | 9 | 843 |
2020 | 10 | 871 |
2019 | 0 | 654 |
2018 | 6 | 774 |
2017 | 11 | 902 |
2016 | 14 | 968 |
2015 | 17 | 967 |
2014 | 12 | 1,001 |
2013 | 11 | 974 |
2012 | 15 | 930 |
2011 | 14 | 891 |
2010 | 5 | 898 |
2009 | 8 | 771 |
2008 | 15 | 719 |
2007 | 7 | 704 |
2006 | 8 | 693 |
2005 | 7 | 691 |
2004 | 14 | 764 |
2003 | 11 | 686 |
2002 | 10 | 636 |
2001 | 12 | 578 |
2000 | 5 | 124 |
1999 | 0 | 109 |
1998 | 9 | 112 |
1997 | 7 | 77 |
1996 | 8 | 82 |
1995 | 6 | 72 |
1994 | 5 | 61 |
1993 | 6 | 68 |
1992 | 0 | 73 |
1991 | 0 | 76 |
1990 | 7 | 84 |
1989 | 6 | 74 |
1988 | 9 | 67 |
1987 | 13 | 46 |
1986 | 6 | 39 |
1985 | 6 | 29 |
1984 | 0 | 21 |
1983 | 9 | 25 |
1982 | 7 | 23 |
1981 | 6 | 17 |
1980 | 7 | 14 |
1979 | 7 | 16 |
1978 | 0 | 13 |
1977 | 8 | 12 |
1976 | 7 | 10 |
1975 | 5 | 11 |
1974 | 6 | 5 |
The name Ainsley originated from an English surname that derived from a place name, Annesley, in Nottinghamshire, England. The name Annesley comes from the Old English words "anne" meaning "solitary" and "ley" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." The name Ainsley likely emerged as a variant spelling of the surname during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ainsley dates back to the 13th century, when a person named Ainsley de Annesley was mentioned in the Testa de Nevill, a record of land holdings in England. The name continued to be used primarily as a surname throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era.
The first recorded use of Ainsley as a given name appears to be in the late 19th century. One of the earliest known individuals with the first name Ainsley was Ainsley Armstrong (1886-1962), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.
Other notable individuals named Ainsley throughout history include:
While the name Ainsley has its roots in England, it has gained popularity as a given name in various English-speaking countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia. The name has been used for both males and females, although it is more commonly given to girls in recent decades.
The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.
The history and meaning of the name Ainsley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ainsley, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/first-names/ainsley-meaning-and-history/">Ainsley first name popularity, history and meaning</a>
"Ainsley first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on September 7, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/ainsley-meaning-and-history/.
"Ainsley first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/ainsley-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 7 September, 2024
Ainsley first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/ainsley-meaning-and-history/.
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