Buckley
A masculine name of Irish origin meaning "lively" or "alert".
Name Census estimates that about 834 living Americans carry the first name Buckley. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Buckley today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Buckley births was 2024 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Buckley. 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.
People living today
834
~ 1 in 410,976 Americans
Peak year
2024
75 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,025
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Buckley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Buckley from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 296 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Buckley 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 Buckley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Buckleys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. Wisconsin, Michigan, California recorded the most babies named Buckley, while Oklahoma, North Carolina, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Buckley
The name Buckley has its roots in the Old English language, derived from the words "buc" meaning "buck" or male deer, and "leah" meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. It was originally a descriptive name given to someone who lived or worked in an area abundant with deer.
During the medieval period in England, the name Buckley was particularly prevalent in the counties of Cheshire and Lancashire, which were known for their extensive woodlands and deer hunting grounds. It was often used as a surname, but over time, it also became established as a given name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Buckley can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named "Buckley" in the county of Cheshire.
In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Buckley of Buckley was recorded as the Lord of the Manor of Buckley in Cheshire. This feudal lord and his descendants played a significant role in the local history and governance of the region.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Buckley. One such person was William Buckley (1780-1856), an English convict who escaped from a penal colony in Australia and lived among Aboriginal Australians for over 30 years, becoming an important figure in early colonial history.
Another famous Buckley was William F. Buckley Jr. (1925-2008), an American author, conservative commentator, and the host of the long-running TV show "Firing Line." He was a prominent figure in the intellectual and political spheres of the United States.
In the world of literature, Christopher Buckley (born 1952) is an American novelist and satirist, best known for his political satires such as "Thank You for Smoking" and "Boomsday." He is the son of William F. Buckley Jr.
In the field of sports, Bill Buckley (1886-1964) was an American baseball player who played for several Major League Baseball teams, including the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs, in the early 20th century.
Finally, Buckley Barrett (born 1983) is a contemporary Australian singer-songwriter and musician, known for his alternative rock and indie folk music, and for his solo projects as well as his work with the band The Snowdroppers.
These are just a few examples of the diverse individuals who have carried the name Buckley throughout history, reflecting its enduring presence across various cultures and disciplines.
People
Buckley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Buckley 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
Buckley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Buckley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 834 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Buckley 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 410,976 US residents.
Is Buckley a common name?
We classify Buckley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,019 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Buckley most popular?
The single biggest year for Buckley was 2024, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Buckley is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Buckley a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Buckley in the SSA data are male. 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.