Ainslie as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ainslie

What is the meaning of the name Ainslie ?

The baby name Ainslie is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈeɪnzli/ (AYNZ-lee).

Ainslie is English, Scottish in Origin.

Ainslie is a Scottish surname-turned-given name, ultimately from English place-names such as Annesley (Nottinghamshire) and Ansley (Warwickshire). These derive from Old English leah, “clearing, meadow,” combined with a personal name (An/Ann/Agnes), yielding senses like “Anne’s meadow” or, by folk etymology, “one’s own meadow/solitary clearing.” The spelling Ainslie is long established in Scotland, where families bearing the name are recorded from the medieval period.

Used as a forename since the 19th century, Ainslie has been traditionally masculine in Scotland but became a modern unisex choice, especially for girls in North America and Australasia from the late 20th century. Notable bearers include diplomat Sir Robert Ainslie and cartographer John Ainslie. Common variants and related forms are Ainsley (dominant modern spelling), Ainslee, Ainsleigh, Ainsly, Aynsley, and Ansley; diminutives such as Ains and Lee sometimes appear.