Whitley

Whitley - A very unique female name

Whitley appeared on the charts for the first time in 1988 on position #435. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Whitley and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Whitley? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Whitley. The baby girl name Whitley was given to 391 baby girls in 2025, ranking #660 on the national girl baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,334 baby girls were given this name - making this a very unique female name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Whitley peaked in popularity 38 years ago in 1988 on position 435.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Whitley, 1-5?

Whitley is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Whitley is currently topping the baby name charts in Oklahoma at position #150 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,747.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Whitley is where you live.

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Whitley origin and meaning

English surname, from a place name

'White clearing' — from Old English hwit, 'white', and leah, 'woodland clearing'

Whitley is an English place name and surname — the white clearing in the wood — carried by scattered villages. As a given name it is a product of the surname-name era, entering the data for girls in 1988, the year after TV's Whitley Gilbert arrived, and slowly rising since.

Attested etymology

Whitley is a 7 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Whitley, pop culture references for the name Whitley and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Whitley

We've found the following names that sound similar to Whitley, sorted by popularity.

Whitlee / Wydell /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Whitley

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Whitley a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique female name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Whitley?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

WHIT-lee · /ˈwɪtli/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Whitlee — An -ee spelling variant.
• Whitly — A rare simplified spelling.

Nicknames: Whit

Famous bearers

• Whitley Gilbert — Southern belle character played by Jasmine Guy in A Different World (Fictional, 1987) Fictional

Style

SurnamePlace name

Why parents choose it

Parents pick Whitley for its crisp, preppy surname style — polished and distinctive, with a nostalgic TV namesake.

Worth knowing

• It is sometimes misheard as Whitney, the bigger 80s name it resembles, and misspelled without the h-sound ending.