ChatGPT
Claude
Gemini
Perplexity
The short answer
Whitley is a feminine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning ‘white clearing’ in Old English. It was popularized by the character Whitley Gilbert from the American sitcom A Different World (1987-1993)." It ranked #677 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from an English surname that was derived from a place name meaning ‘white clearing’ in Old English. It was popularized by the character Whitley Gilbert from the American sitcom A Different World (1987-1993). The entry lists its usage as English (Modern).
Editorial confidence: established
Popularity
Whitley ranked #677 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #677 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Whitley in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Whitley mean?
Whitley means "white clearing", according to Behind the Name.
Is Whitley a popular name?
Whitley ranked #677 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Whitley a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Whitley appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Whitley — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
