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The short answer
Berkley is a feminine name in current use in the United States: it ranked #888 for girls in the United States in 2025. Berkley is a spelling of Berkeley, which Wiktionary derives from Old English beorc "birch" and leah "meadow". The full derivation, and how far the sources will carry it, is set out below.
Meaning and etymology
Wiktionary's Berkley entry covers the English village, the American places and the surname, and points to Berkeley; its Berkeley entry derives the name from Old English beorc "birch" plus leah "meadow" — equivalent to birch plus -ley — and lists "a male given name transferred from the surname". Neither entry has a given-name sense under the Berkley spelling, so the link between the two spellings is this site's reading.
Editorial confidence: likely
Linguistic roots
| Language | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Old English | beorc | birch |
| Old English | leah | meadow, lea |
Popularity
Berkley ranked #888 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 | #888 | ssa-2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Berkley mean?
Berkley is a spelling of Berkeley, which Wiktionary derives from Old English beorc "birch" and leah "meadow".
Is Berkley a popular name?
Berkley ranked #888 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Berkley a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Berkley appears in the girls' list.
Sources
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity, gender usage.
- Wiktionary: Berkley — Wiktionary, the free dictionary — supports place name and surname, pointer to Berkeley.
- Wiktionary: Berkeley — Wiktionary, the free dictionary — supports etymology, use as a given name transferred from the surname.
- Behind the Name: Behind the Name search for Berkley (no entry) — supports absence of an entry for this spelling.
