Declining since 2013, #5,238 for girls today.
Popularity of Brinkley since 1985
Babies named Brinkley per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 13 |
| 1990s | 108 |
| 2000s | 380 |
| 2010s | 629 |
| 2020s | 178 |
Meaning & origin
Brinkley is a rare given name, most often used for girls. It first appeared in U.S. baby name records in 1985 and reached its peak popularity in 2013, after which it has declined. As of 2025, it ranks 5,238, with about 1 in 66,969 newborns receiving the name, reflecting its low frequency. Brinkley is a surname-style name, akin to other -ley endings, but remains uncommon and infrequent across U.S. states. Its trajectory suggests it is a modern, trend-sensitive choice that saw a brief rise before falling out of favor.
Brinkley is a transferred use of an English or Irish surname. The English surname derives from a place name meaning "Brink's wood" or "woodland clearing," from Old English *brink* (slope, bank) and *lēah* (clearing). The Irish surname is an anglicization of Ó Brin(n)calaigh, though its origin is less clear. As a first name, Brinkley came into occasional use in the late 20th century, particularly as a feminine name, though it remains rare.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Brin, Brink, Lee
Sibling names for Brinkley
Names that share Brinkley's style, for a brother or sister.
