How to say it
OAK · ley
ˈoʊk.li
Unisex
Oakley
Oak meadow
What it means
English place name from Old English ac ('oak') + leah ('clearing, meadow'). Originally a surname. Annie Oakley the sharpshooter (Annie Get Your Gun, 1946) and the Oakley sunglasses brand anchor different cultural surfaces.
Oakley is an English place name from the Old English āc ('oak') + lēah ('clearing, meadow'), giving 'oak meadow.' Common across England as both a village name and a surname. Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey, 1860-1926), the American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and was immortalized in the musical Annie Get Your Gun (1946, film 1950), is the deepest English-language anchor through the surname. The Oakley sunglasses brand (founded 1975 in California) gives the commercial reference. As a US first name Oakley is modern and unisex, basically post-2010. It entered the US top 500 in 2018. Common short: Oak.
How to spell Oakley
The standard spelling is Oakley. Common variants include Oakleigh, Oaklee, but Oakley is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
Feminine: peaked at #153 in 2023, currently #156 in 2025.
Masculine: peaked at #393 in 2022, currently #454 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
Annie Oakley (sharpshooter, 1860-1926) is the deepest English-language anchor; the Oakley sunglasses brand gives the commercial cue parents notice in the background.
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.
- Annie Oakley American sharpshooter, Buffalo Bill's Wild West, 1860-1926
Spelling variants
- Oakleigh
- Oaklee
Names with the same feeling
See Oakley from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Oakley mean?
- English place name from Old English ac ('oak') + leah ('clearing, meadow'). Originally a surname. Annie Oakley the sharpshooter (Annie Get Your Gun, 1946) and the Oakley sunglasses brand anchor different cultural surfaces.
- What does Oakley mean in English?
- In English, Oakley means "Oak meadow." Oakley is an English place name from the Old English āc ('oak') + lēah ('clearing, meadow'), giving 'oak meadow.' Common across England as both a village name and a surname. Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey, 1860-1926), the American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show and was immortalized in the musical Annie Get Your Gun (1946, film 1950), is the deepest English-language anchor through the surname. The Oakley sunglasses brand (founded 1975 in California) gives the commercial reference. As a US first name Oakley is modern and unisex, basically post-2010. It entered the US top 500 in 2018. Common short: Oak.
- How do you pronounce Oakley?
- Oakley is pronounced ˈoʊk.li. Say it as OAK-ley, with the stress on the "oak" syllable.
- How do you spell Oakley?
- The standard spelling is Oakley. Common spelling variants include Oakleigh, Oaklee.
- Is Oakley a boy or girl name?
- Oakley is used for both boys and girls.
- How popular is the name Oakley?
- Oakley ranked #156 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.