Audley as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Audley

What is the meaning of the name Audley ?

The baby name Audley is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈɔːdli/ (AWD-lee).

Audley is English in Origin.

Audley is an English surname-turned-given name taken from the Staffordshire place name. The toponym combines Old English leah "wood, clearing, meadow" with a personal name, likely Ealdgyth (medieval Aldith), yielding "Ealdgyth's clearing." Some sources read the first element as eald "old," giving the folk etymology "old meadow." The surname appears from the 12th century, with medieval spellings such as de Audley and Awdeley.

Transferred to given-name use in Britain from the 18th–19th centuries, Audley carried aristocratic overtones through the powerful Audley family (e.g., Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor, and the title Baron Audley) and place associations like Audley End. Though chiefly masculine, it has seen occasional unisex use. Noted bearers include boxer Audley Harrison and Jamaican politician Audley Shaw. Variants and short forms include Audly, Awdeley (historic), and Audie; the modern feminine counterpart is sometimes styled Audley or, by association, Audrey.