Beverley as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Beverley

What is the meaning of the name Beverley ?

The baby name Beverley is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈbɛvərli/ (BEV-er-lee); UK variant /ˈbɛvəli/.

Beverley is English in Origin.

Beverley is an English given name derived from the Yorkshire place-name, from Old English beofor “beaver” + leah “wood/clearing,” typically glossed as “beaver meadow/clearing.” Early records of the town appear as Beverlac, leading some to interpret the sense as “beaver stream,” but the modern -ley ending aligns with leah. The medieval pilgrimage center of Beverley - associated with Saint John of Beverley, a 7th-8th century bishop - helped fix the name in English surname stock.

Adopted from the surname as a given name in the 19th century, Beverley was used for both sexes in Britain and the wider Anglophone world, skewing masculine earlier and becoming predominantly feminine by the mid-20th century. The -ley spelling is common in the UK; the American standard is Beverly. Diminutives include Bev and Bevie. Variant spellings and elaborations include Beverlee, Beverlie, Beverleigh, and Beverley-Anne.