Holding steady.
Popularity of Hawley since 1907
Babies named Hawley per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1918, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hawley's real moment was 1907.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 0 | 5 |
| 1910s | 0 | 27 |
| 1920s | 0 | 68 |
| 1930s | 0 | 28 |
| 1940s | 0 | 7 |
| 1950s | 0 | 10 |
| 1960s | 0 | 0 |
| 1970s | 10 | 5 |
| 1980s | 33 | 0 |
| 1990s | 7 | 0 |
| 2000s | 11 | 0 |
| 2010s | 6 | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Hawley is a rare given name, first recorded in 1907. It has never entered the top 1000 and remains an unconventional choice. The name's peak year was also 1907, suggesting it was a brief novelty rather than an established classic. Its trajectory has been stable, with very occasional usage in the decades since. The surname origin ties it to English place names meaning 'hedged meadow,' linking it to the landscape of rural England. As a surname-turned-given-name, Hawley fits a pattern of using family names as first names, but with far less frequency than names like Harper or Avery. Its obscurity makes it distinctive, but also means it lacks the familiarity of more common choices.
Hawley is derived from an English surname, itself from a place name meaning 'hedged meadow' or 'hawthorn clearing' in Old English (haga 'hedge' + leah 'wood, clearing'). The name first appeared as a given name in the early 1900s, likely a transfer of the surname, which has aristocratic roots (e.g., the Hawley baronets).
Sibling names for Hawley
Names that share Hawley's style, for a brother or sister.
