Oaklei
A feminine name derived from English, meaning "oak meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 104 living Americans carry the first name Oaklei. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Oaklei today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oaklei births was 2023 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oaklei. 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
104
~ 1 in 3,295,715 Americans
Peak year
2023
18 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,370
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Oaklei: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oaklei from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 62 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
Oaklei 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 Oaklei 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 Oaklei
The name Oaklei has its origins rooted in the ancient Anglo-Saxon language. It is derived from the Old English words "ac" meaning oak tree and "leah" meaning a meadow or woodland clearing. The name essentially translates to "oak meadow" or "clearing in the oak woods". This name was commonly used in regions of England where oak forests were abundant, such as the counties of Sussex, Kent, and Hampshire.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oaklei can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and property holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. Here, an individual named Oaklei is listed as a landowner in the village of Wrotham, Kent. This suggests that the name was already in use among the Anglo-Saxon population prior to the Norman conquest of England.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Oaklei remained prevalent in various parts of England, particularly in rural areas where oak woodlands were plentiful. It was often used as a surname, reflecting the close connection between people and the land they occupied. Notable individuals bearing the name Oaklei during this period include Sir Oaklei de Wrotham, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453).
In the 16th century, the name Oaklei gained religious significance when it was adopted by a group of Protestant reformers known as the Oaklei Puritans. This sect, founded by Oaklei Winslow in 1585, advocated for a strict interpretation of the Bible and opposed the established Church of England. Despite facing persecution, the Oaklei Puritans played a significant role in the English Reformation.
Oaklei Winslow (1561-1631) was a prominent leader of the Oaklei Puritans and is considered one of the most influential figures in the early days of the Puritan movement. Another notable figure from this era was Oaklei Cromwell (1599-1658), a military and political leader who served as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland during the Interregnum period (1653-1659).
As the centuries progressed, the name Oaklei continued to be used across various social strata in England. One notable bearer of the name was Oaklei Smith (1805-1876), a British architect and engineer who designed several iconic buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Albert Memorial.
While the name Oaklei has its roots in the Anglo-Saxon culture, it has also been adopted by different cultures and languages over time. For instance, in the United States, the name Oaklei has been used as a given name for both males and females, reflecting its versatility and enduring appeal.
People
Oaklei + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oaklei as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with O
Other first names starting with O with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Oaklei: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oaklei?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 104 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oaklei 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 3,295,715 US residents.
Is Oaklei a common name?
We classify Oaklei as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 105 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oaklei most popular?
The single biggest year for Oaklei was 2023, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oaklei is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Oaklei a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oaklei 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.