Oxley
A name of Old English origin referring to a meadow or clearing of oxen.
Name Census estimates that about 74 living Americans carry the first name Oxley. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Oxley today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Oxley births was 2016 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Oxley. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Oxley with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Oxley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
74
~ 1 in 4,631,815 Americans
Peak year
2016
13 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,925
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Oxley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Oxley from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 46 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Oxley remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Oxley 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 Oxley 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 Oxley
The name Oxley has its origins in Old English, derived from the words "ox" and "leah," meaning "ox clearing" or "meadow where oxen graze." This name was initially used as a surname, particularly in regions where cattle farming and agriculture were prevalent, such as the English counties of Staffordshire and Warwickshire.
During the Middle Ages, the name Oxley was closely associated with rural communities and farming families. It was not uncommon for individuals to adopt their family's occupational surnames as given names, reflecting their connection to the land and their livelihood.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Oxley appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a settlement called "Oxenleah" in Warwickshire, indicating the presence of individuals bearing the name or associated with the place.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the name Oxley. In the 16th century, John Oxley (1501-1567) was an English theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the religious turmoil of the time. He was a vocal supporter of the English Reformation and served as a chaplain to King Edward VI.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, John Oxley (1783-1828) was an explorer and surveyor who made significant contributions to the mapping and exploration of the Australian continent. He led several expeditions and was instrumental in the discovery of important inland waterways and regions, including the Brisbane River and the Tweed River.
Another prominent figure was Frederick Oxley (1871-1947), a British architect and designer who was influential in the Arts and Crafts movement. He designed several notable buildings, including the National Trust's headquarters in London and the St. John's Memorial Church in Oxfordshire.
In the world of literature, James Oxley (1855-1907) was an English author and journalist who wrote extensively about the Australian outback and the experiences of the early settlers. His works, such as "The Story of Billy the Kid" and "The Kangaroo Hunters," were popular in their time and provided insights into the rugged life of the Australian bush.
Finally, in the realm of sports, John Oxley (1891-1970) was an English cricketer who played for Worcestershire County Cricket Club and the English national team. He was a skilled right-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper, participating in numerous domestic and international matches during his career.
People
Oxley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Oxley 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
Oxley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Oxley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 74 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Oxley 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 4,631,815 US residents.
Is Oxley a common name?
We classify Oxley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 75 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Oxley most popular?
The single biggest year for Oxley was 2016, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Oxley is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Oxley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Oxley a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Oxley 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.
Is Oxley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Oxley in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Oxley can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Oxley?
You can see how many Americans are named Oxley on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.