Stanley
From places in England, Old English stān (“stone”) + lēah (“meadow”).
Every Stanley since 1880 — 302,862 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Stanley
Stanley is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #863 in 2025 with 278 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 302,862 American babies have been named Stanley. Its peak came in 1954, when 6,472 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Stanley stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Stanley year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 278 | #863 |
| 2024 | — | — | 278 | #870 |
| 2023 | — | — | 304 | #808 |
| 2022 | — | — | 325 | #780 |
| 2021 | — | — | 312 | #790 |
| 2020 | — | — | 335 | #735 |
| 2019 | — | — | 377 | #681 |
| 2018 | — | — | 344 | #708 |
| 2017 | — | — | 351 | #703 |
| 2016 | — | — | 367 | #683 |
| 2015 | — | — | 365 | #692 |
| 2014 | — | — | 372 | #681 |
| 2013 | — | — | 355 | #680 |
| 2012 | — | — | 315 | #737 |
| 2011 | — | — | 348 | #677 |
| 2010 | — | — | 347 | #683 |
| 2009 | — | — | 359 | #679 |
| 2008 | — | — | 370 | #657 |
| 2007 | — | — | 398 | #620 |
| 2006 | — | — | 404 | #601 |
| 2005 | — | — | 410 | #569 |
| 2004 | — | — | 413 | #556 |
| 2003 | — | — | 405 | #553 |
| 2002 | — | — | 472 | #490 |
| 2001 | — | — | 443 | #513 |
| 2000 | — | — | 453 | #505 |
| 1995 | — | — | 562 | #406 |
| 1990 | 6 | #12,753 | 809 | #313 |
| 1985 | 5 | #12,254 | 920 | #247 |
| 1980 | 11 | #6,267 | 1,096 | #221 |
| 1975 | 12 | #5,120 | 1,169 | #194 |
| 1970 | 15 | #4,016 | 1,949 | #157 |
| 1965 | 14 | #3,519 | 2,819 | #115 |
| 1960 | 20 | #2,811 | 4,221 | #100 |
| 1955 | 19 | #2,625 | 6,050 | #64 |
| 1950 | 13 | #3,036 | 5,453 | #60 |
| 1945 | 15 | #2,331 | 4,058 | #59 |
| 1940 | 10 | #2,934 | 3,694 | #59 |
| 1935 | 11 | #2,712 | 3,696 | #56 |
| 1930 | 32 | #1,364 | 4,383 | #49 |
| 1925 | 25 | #1,741 | 5,030 | #40 |
| 1920 | 19 | #2,065 | 5,314 | #40 |
| 1915 | 17 | #1,951 | 4,807 | #34 |
| 1910 | 5 | #2,742 | 761 | #47 |
| 1905 | — | — | 384 | #66 |
| 1900 | 7 | #1,707 | 342 | #77 |
| 1895 | — | — | 233 | #83 |
| 1890 | — | — | 223 | #78 |
| 1885 | — | — | 97 | #140 |
| 1880 | — | — | 65 | #191 |
Famous people named Stanley
- Stanley Kubrick Film director · 1928–1999
- Stanley Cohen Physician · 1922–2020
- Stanley Matthews Soccer player · 1915–2000
- Stanley Milgram Psychologist · 1933–1984
- Stanley Ho Businessperson · 1921–2020
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Stanley mean?
From places in England, Old English stān (“stone”) + lēah (“meadow”).
How popular is the name Stanley in 2025?
Stanley ranked #863 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 278 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Stanley?
302,862 babies have been named Stanley in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Stanley most popular?
Stanley peaked in 1954, when 6,472 newborns received the name.
Is Stanley a boy or girl name?
Stanley is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Stanley rising or falling?
Stanley has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Stanley?
Well-known people named Stanley include Stanley Kubrick (film director), Stanley Cohen (physician), Stanley Matthews (soccer player).