Hanley as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Hanley

What is the meaning of the name Hanley ?

The baby name Hanley is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈhænli/ (HAN-lee).

Hanley is English, Irish in Origin.

Hanley is a surname-turned-given name of dual origin, English and Irish. In England it denotes someone from places called Hanley (Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Shropshire), deriving from Old English heah/hean “high” + leah “wood, clearing, meadow”; some scholars connect the first element to hana “cock” or the personal name Hāna, yielding “rooster’s clearing” or “Hana’s clearing.” In Ireland it anglicizes Ó hAinle, “descendant of Áinle,” a medieval personal name glossed as “beauty, grace” and at times “champion.”

Used as a given name since the 19th century in Britain and the United States, Hanley follows the modern fashion for transferable surnames and now functions as a quiet, unisex choice. Bearers appear in public life and sport, but the name remains relatively uncommon. Variants and related forms include Hanly/Hanlye, O’Hanley (surname), and contemporary spellings Hanlee and Hanleigh; compare also Henley. Short forms may include Han or Lee.