Beverlye
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially meaning "beaver meadow" or "beaver stream".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Beverlye. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Beverlye today is around 86 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Beverlye births was 1935 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Beverlye. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Beverlye is about 86 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Beverlyes were born before 1950.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Beverlye. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1935
8 babies that year
Average age
86
years old
1953 SSA rank
#5,734
Tracked since 1929
Popularity
Beverlye: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Beverlye from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 26 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Beverlye by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Beverlye during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Beverlye
The name Beverlye has its origins in the Old English language, derived from the words "beofor" meaning "beaver" and "leah" meaning "clearing" or "meadow." It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a beaver meadow or a clearing where beavers were found. The name was widely used in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, particularly in regions where beavers were prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Beverlye can be traced back to the 8th century, when it appeared in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name was associated with several settlements and landholdings across the country.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Beverlye. One of the most famous was Beverlye Nichols (1898-1983), a British playwright, novelist, and composer known for his witty and satirical works. His plays, including "Cavalcade" and "Privates on Parade," were popular in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was Beverlye Sills (1929-2007), an American operatic soprano renowned for her performances in operas such as "Manon" and "Lucia di Lammermoor." She was also a driving force behind the revitalization of the New York City Opera and served as its general manager for several years.
In the realm of sports, Beverlye Rae Ridgway (1939-2021) was a Canadian curler who won multiple national and world championships in the 1970s and 1980s. She was inducted into the Canadian Curling Hall of Fame in recognition of her achievements.
The name Beverlye also had historical significance in the arts. Beverlye Callard (1924-2014) was a British actress and singer who appeared in numerous West End productions and television shows, including the long-running soap opera "Coronation Street."
Finally, Beverlye Stickney (1916-1992) was an American artist and painter known for her abstract expressionist works. Her paintings were exhibited in prestigious galleries and museums, and she was recognized as a significant figure in the mid-20th century American art scene.
People
Beverlye + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Beverlye as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Beverlye: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Beverlye?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Beverlye going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Beverlye a common name?
We classify Beverlye as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 43 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Beverlye most popular?
The single biggest year for Beverlye was 1935, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Beverlye is about 86 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Beverlye a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Beverlye in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.