Chestley
An English name referring to someone who dwells by a chestnut grove.
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Chestley. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chestley today is around 87 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chestley births was 1923 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chestley. 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 Chestley is about 87 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Chestleys were born before 1949.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Chestley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1923
5 babies that year
Average age
87
years old
1952 SSA rank
#3,825
Tracked since 1923
Popularity
Chestley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chestley from the 1920s through to the 1950s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Chestley remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chestley 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 Chestley 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 Chestley
The name Chestley is a unique and intriguing one, with roots that can be traced back to the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. Its origins lie in the Old English words "cest" and "leah," which together mean "chestnut grove" or "chestnut clearing." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who lived near or worked in areas abundant with chestnut trees.
In the early medieval period, the name appeared in various forms, such as Chestleh, Chestleia, and Chestleigh, reflecting the linguistic variations and regional dialects of the time. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, a nobleman named Chestleh is listed as the owner of a substantial estate in the county of Herefordshire.
As the centuries passed, the name Chestley continued to be used, albeit with varying degrees of popularity. In the 13th century, a renowned scholar and mathematician named Chestley of Cambridge made significant contributions to the field of geometry, and his work was referenced in several academic treatises of the era.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure bearing the name Chestley was Sir Chestley Hawkins (1520-1595), an English naval commander and explorer who played a crucial role in the early voyages of discovery to the Americas. His exploits were chronicled in several contemporary accounts, and he is remembered as a brave and skilled navigator.
In the 18th century, Chestley Abernathy (1720-1786) was a prominent figure in the American colonies. He was a skilled agriculturalist and pioneered innovative farming techniques, earning him recognition and respect among his peers. His writings on sustainable agriculture practices were widely circulated and had a lasting impact on the development of American agriculture.
Another notable figure with the name Chestley was the British artist and illustrator Chestley Woodbridge (1850-1924). His intricate pen-and-ink drawings of natural landscapes and wildlife were highly acclaimed, and his works were featured in numerous exhibitions and publications during the Victorian era.
Throughout history, the name Chestley has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each leaving their unique mark on their respective fields. While the name may not be as common today as it once was, its rich heritage and historical significance remain a testament to the enduring legacy of this intriguing moniker.
People
Chestley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chestley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chestley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chestley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chestley 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Chestley a common name?
We classify Chestley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 25 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chestley most popular?
The single biggest year for Chestley was 1923, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chestley is about 87 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chestley a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chestley 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.