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The short answer
Oakley is a name taken from an English surname derived from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. Behind the Name names the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860–1926) as a famous bearer of the surname. It is used for both boys and girls. It is pronounced OHK-lee. In the United States it ranked #454 for boys and #156 for girls in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
Behind the Name gives Oakley as from an English surname derived from various place names meaning "oak clearing" in Old English. It names the American sharpshooter Annie Oakley (1860–1926) as a famous bearer of the surname, and lists the name as used for both boys and girls.
Editorial confidence: established
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Old English | ac + leah | oak clearing |
Popularity
Oakley ranked #454 for boys and #156 for girls in the United States in 2025 (Social Security Administration), making it a genuinely unisex name in current use.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States (boys) | 2025 | #454 | ssa-2025 |
| United States (girls) | 2025 | #156 | ssa-2025 |
United States, 2025: #156 (Social Security Administration)
Nicknames, variants, and related names
Nicknames: None documented.
Related names: Oaklyn, Oaklynn
What the name feels like
Oakley is a sturdy nature-and-surname name that works comfortably for either sex, drawing on both an oak-tree association and a sharpshooting namesake.
Style tags: surname name, nature name, unisex
Editorial interpretation: This style impression is editorial judgment, not linguistic fact.
If you like this name
Names that share Oakley's oak-tree meaning or its unisex surname shape.
Similar by meaning
Similar by style
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Oakley mean?
Oakley means "oak clearing". It comes from an English surname derived from place names.
Is Oakley a popular name?
Yes. Oakley ranked #454 among boys and #156 among girls in the United States in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.
Is Oakley a boy's or girl's name?
Both. Behind the Name lists it as masculine and feminine, and it appears on the 2025 SSA top-names list for both sexes.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Oakley — supports etymology, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
