The name Kingsley is an English given name derived from the Old English words "cyning" meaning king, and "leah" meaning meadow or clearing in a forest. It essentially means "the king's meadow" or "the royal clearing." The name originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries.

The earliest recorded use of the name Kingsley can be traced back to the 12th century. It was initially used as a surname, referring to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing belonging to the king. Over time, it transitioned into a given name as well.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Kingsley was Sir Kingsley Fitzjames, an English knight who lived during the 13th century. He was a prominent figure in the court of King Henry III and participated in several military campaigns.

In the 16th century, Kingsley was the name of a character in the play "Sir Thomas More" by William Shakespeare and other playwrights. This play, written around 1590, helped to popularize the name further.

During the Victorian era, the name Kingsley gained even more prominence due to the renowned English writer and clergyman, Charles Kingsley (1819-1875). He was a prominent figure in the literature and social reform movements of his time and authored several popular novels, including "The Water-Babies" and "Westward Ho!"

Another notable bearer of the name was Kingsley Amis (1922-1995), a highly acclaimed English novelist, poet, and critic. He is best known for his novels such as "Lucky Jim" and "The Old Devils," which satirized the British upper-class society of the time.

In the field of science, Kingsley Charles Dunham (1910-2001) was a British astronomer and director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. He made significant contributions to the study of positional astronomy and the development of new observational techniques.

Other historical figures with the name Kingsley include Kingsley Shacklebolt, a fictional character from the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling, and Kingsley Fairbridge, an English philanthropist and founder of the Fairbridge Child Migration Scheme in the early 20th century.