How to say it
HAD · ley
/ˈhæd.li/
Feminine
Hadley
Heather meadow
What it means
Old English place name from hǣþ ('heather') + lēah ('meadow'). Originally a surname; Hadley Richardson was Ernest Hemingway's first wife and the subject of Paula McLain's novel The Paris Wife.
Hadley is an English place name from Old English hǣþ ('heather') + lēah ('meadow') — 'heather meadow.' The surname has been common in England for centuries. Hadley Richardson (1891-1979) was Ernest Hemingway's first wife; their early years together in Paris are the subject of Paula McLain's 2011 novel The Paris Wife, which gave the name modern English-language literary anchor. As a first name Hadley is American and modern, surging since 2010 and now predominantly feminine. It entered the US top 200 in 2019. No common short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #100 in 2014, currently #121 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Hadley Richardson (Hemingway's first wife, 1891-1979) and The Paris Wife (2011 novel) are the dominant literary anchors.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Hadley Richardson Ernest Hemingway's first wife, central figure of The Paris Wife
Spelling variants
- Hadlee
- Hadleigh
Names with the same feeling
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