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The short answer
Ainsley is a feminine name used in Scottish and English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From an English surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. In America, this name received a boost of popularity in 2000 when a character bearing it began appearing on the television series The West Wing." It ranked #483 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from an English surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire. In America, this name received a boost of popularity in 2000 when a character bearing it began appearing on the television series The West Wing. The entry lists its usage as Scottish, English (Modern).
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Ainsley ranked #483 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 | #483 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (Scottish) and that sit near Ainsley in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Ainsley mean?
Behind the Name does not give Ainsley a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: from an English surname that was from a place name: either Annesley in Nottinghamshire or Ansley in Warwickshire.
Is Ainsley a popular name?
Ainsley ranked #483 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Ainsley a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Ainsley appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine & masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Ainsley — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
