Hartley

HART-lee
English
"stag meadow"

Hartley Origin and Meaning

The name Hartley is a boy's name of English origin meaning "stag meadow".

Smart and sharp but with a touch of heart and charm, Hartley is a surname style name that could work as an alternative to Harley, Harvey, Artie, or Harry. Quietly used as a masculine name throughout the 20th century, the arrival of two celebrity-baby girl Hartleys in 2010 has meant the name has been used as a predominantly feminine one in recent years. However, since 2020, Hartley has doubled in use for boys too, and was give to a modest 30 in 2023. .

Ultimately deriving from a place name, it comes from the Old English words heorot meaning "stag, male deer" and leah meaning "meadow, clearing". They come together to make a name that evokes images of English parks, and joins Oscar and Roscoe as deer-inspired choices.

Used by poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge for his son in the 18th century, it has also been borne by politician and war crimes barrister Hartley Shawcross and philosopher Hartley Burr Alexander, lending it a scholarly, academic feel. In the UK, it is also the name of a jam and marmalade manufacturer, which might be off putting to some.

If you like the idea of Hartley but aren't quite sure, there's also the simpler, one-syllable Hart, a name currently gaining attention.

# 980 in the US

Hartley Rank in US Top 1000

Hartley Popularity

Famous People Named Hartley

  • Hartley William Shawcross
    English politician and Nuremberg Trials barrister
  • (David) Hartley Coleridge
    English poet; son of poet Samuel Coleridge
  • Hartley Burr Alexander
    American philosopher
  • Hartley Sawyer
    American actor
  • Hartley Lloyd
    Pack, son of English actor Roger Lloyd,Pack
  • Hartley Eric (b. 2013)
    son of Veronica De La Cruz

Hartley in Pop Culture

  • Hartley Hare
    character on British TV series 'Pipkins'
  • Hartley's
    British brand of jam/marmalade
  • Hartley Rathaway aka Pied Piper
    character from TV's "The Flash"