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Harley as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Harley

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The baby name Harley is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈhɑr.li/ (HAR-lee).

Harley is English in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈhɑr.li/ (HAR-lee)

What is the meaning of the name Harley ?

The baby name Harley is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈhɑr.li/ (HAR-lee).

Harley is English in Origin.

Harley is an English surname-turned-given name derived from the Old English elements hara ‘hare’ and lēah ‘wood, meadow, clearing,’ giving the meaning “hare meadow/clearing.” It comes from several English place-names and entered medieval records as a family name before crossing into first-name use. In Britain and the United States it appears in the 19th century, used chiefly for boys.

By the late 20th century Harley had become solidly unisex. Its masculine image drew on the motorcycle marque Harley‑Davidson, while DC Comics’ Harley Quinn (from Harleen Quinzel, 1992) popularized it for girls. Contemporary variants and spellings include Harlee, Harleigh, Harlie, Harli, and Harly; occasional nicknames are Har and Lee. Related sound‑alike choices include Harlow and Hadley. The name pairs grounded Anglo‑Saxon roots with modern verve and sees steady popularity across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Harley has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Harley

Harley Jane Kozak Actor · Born 1957 · United States Harley Jane Kozak is an American actress and author, best known for her role as Mary Duvall on the soap opera Santa Barbara. She also made her film debut in The House on Sorority Row (1982). Harley Quinn Smith Actor · Born 1999 · United States Harley Quinn Smith is an American actress and musician best known for playing a convenience store clerk in Tusk and starring in its spin-off Yoga Hosers. Both films were written and directed by her father, filmmaker Kevin Smith.

Celebrity babies named Harley

Name Last Name(s) Mother Mother famous for Fame Level Father Father famous for Fame Level
Harley Quinn Smith Jennifer Schwalbach Smith film director ★★★★★ Kevin Smith film director ★★★★★

Harley – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 — 836
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
BI 0 #12 1 425
KR Boys 0 #27 1 897
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
AZ Girls 0 #75 1 1,051
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
QA 0 #106 1 7,011
PH 0 #107 4 5,607
BN Girls 0 #110 5 5,459
EC 0 #120 2 2,502
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
EE Boys 0 #125 1 2,087
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
BN Boys 0 #135 5 6,332
MU 0 #137 1 3,613
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
CR 0 #164 2 5,526
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
Sweden Girls 2022 #176 4 1,568
Sweden Boys 2021 #179 5 1,578
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
UY 0 #182 1 2,477
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
BG Boys 0 #220 1 3,850
LU Boys 0 #220 1 4,970
AL Girls 0 #227 1 4,141
MO Boys 0 #230 5 5,842
BD 0 #238 4 5,992
AO Boys 0 #247 3 5,568
GR Girls 0 #248 2 6,293
Canada Girls 2024 #249 37 2,795
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
TW Boys 0 #252 5 7,111
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
EC Girls 0 #257 2 3,650
MO Girls 0 #263 1 7,056
NG 0 #269 4 5,926
Canada Boys 2024 #270 37 2,588
GR Boys 0 #271 3 6,912
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
HR Girls 0 #291 4 3,687
JM Boys 0 #291 3 6,876
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
JP Boys 0 #300 4 7,909
CN Boys 0 #307 13 9,639
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
PE 0 #327 3 6,350
DK Boys 0 #328 5 7,401
DK Girls 0 #328 2 7,429
KZ Girls 0 #330 3 5,862
GH Girls 0 #332 6 6,973
GT 0 #334 5 5,948
QA Girls 0 #338 6 15,378
JO Girls 0 #339 1 7,570
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
United States Girls 2024 #341 795 8,487
PH Boys 0 #342 42 11,440
MU Boys 0 #345 13 8,477
CZ Girls 0 #349 3 5,378
MY 0 #349 6 12,352
HK 0 #352 6 8,483
CN Girls 0 #353 7 8,829
GH Boys 0 #355 7 8,138
BR 0 #357 4 5,969
MU Girls 0 #361 2 8,539
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
PH Girls 0 #369 22 13,098
PT Boys 0 #373 9 7,951
France Boys 2021 #383 5 2,865
UY Boys 0 #383 17 5,922
JO Boys 0 #388 2 7,057
France Girls 2021 #389 17 3,185
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
BD Girls 0 #402 5 8,413
BO 0 #406 3 6,868
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
OM Girls 0 #421 4 15,987
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
MX 0 #440 6 8,339
CR Boys 0 #445 43 10,188
CO 0 #462 19 7,768
PA Boys 0 #463 19 9,305
PA Girls 0 #466 16 9,861
ZA 0 #470 5 14,421
PT Girls 0 #471 1 7,952
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
RU Girls 0 #484 15 11,913
GT Boys 0 #495 5 7,625
GT Girls 0 #496 10 7,500
HK Boys 0 #497 31 12,905
CO Boys 0 #500 545 15,656
KW Girls 0 #506 10 19,177
RU Boys 0 #519 8 12,621
IQ Girls 0 #520 6 11,303
CR Girls 0 #522 11 11,342
UY Girls 0 #532 5 6,731
IR Girls 0 #542 4 8,334
AE Girls 0 #543 11 20,968
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
LY 0 #554 6 12,703
PS Boys 0 #558 4 10,655
CM Girls 0 #559 2 11,671
CM Boys 0 #570 6 12,054
BO Boys 0 #577 16 9,244
SG Girls 0 #577 10 18,916
AR Girls 0 #585 15 8,289
BD Boys 0 #599 7 10,045
BO Girls 0 #600 12 9,488
HK Girls 0 #602 14 16,104
BR Boys 0 #620 133 12,213
IL Boys 0 #621 5 10,983
CL Boys 0 #643 23 13,390
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
IN Girls 0 #650 5 13,121
Finland Boys 2026 #673 10 3,552
United States Boys 2024 #676 218 7,044
SG Boys 0 #678 20 17,960
LB 0 #686 5 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #695 3 13,071
IT 0 #704 11 4,183
QA Boys 0 #735 9 18,093
KW Boys 0 #750 20 18,755
SY 0 #766 2 11,684
NG Girls 0 #768 19 15,093
PE Boys 0 #787 92 14,506
CL Girls 0 #808 44 14,098
Germany Girls 0 #822 17 4,949
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
NL Boys 0 #872 80 5,873
PE Girls 0 #896 48 14,861
Germany Boys 0 #899 54 5,697
Spain Boys 0 #901 30 5,610
MX Boys 0 #911 72 16,355
NG Boys 0 #912 40 16,906
OM Boys 0 #914 5 17,948
SA Girls 0 #920 16 25,931
EG Boys 0 #921 5 15,035
BR Girls 0 #927 15 12,708
EG Girls 0 #944 16 14,742
MY Girls 0 #950 45 24,821
Spain Girls 0 #962 22 5,561
IN Boys 0 #990 12 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,011 68 16,140
MX Girls 0 #1,034 150 17,781
MY Boys 0 #1,036 76 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,072 21 22,615
MA 0 #1,105 24 20,986
ZA Girls 0 #1,120 22 25,928
ZA Boys 0 #1,124 55 25,619
DZ 0 #1,145 32 20,130
TR 0 #1,197 15 19,440
IT Girls 0 #1,298 149 9,415
IT Boys 0 #1,343 129 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,559 56 28,008

Harley is popular in 81 countries — most recent births per country:

Canada
Scotland, United Kingdom
United States
France
Ireland

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Harley

Harley is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Harley is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈhɑr.li/ (HAR-lee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Harlie, Harlee, Harleigh, Harli and Harly.
Yes, very popular — Harley ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Harley ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 2 notable people named Harley are in our database, including Harley Jane Kozak (Actor), Harley Quinn Smith (Actor).
Yes — at least 1 celebrity couple has chosen Harley for their child, including Jennifer Schwalbach Smith and Kevin Smith.