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At a Glance: Name: Blakely – Meaning: a dark (or possibly pale) meadow/clearing — the Old English root is ambiguous between 'dark' and 'pale' – Origin: English (surname/place name, variant of Blakeley: Old English 'blæc/blāc' + 'lēah') – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: BLAYK-lee
Blakely is a girl's name pronounced BLAYK-lee (IPA /ˈbleɪkli/), coming from English surname and place-name tradition as a variant of Blakeley — Old English 'blæc/blāc' plus 'lēah,' pointing to a meadow or clearing. It's often glossed simply as 'dark meadow,' but that's not fully settled: 'blæc' (dark) and 'blāc' (pale) look identical in modern spelling, so which sense actually underlies the name isn't certain. It has a free-spirited, boho, outdoorsy, nature-inspired feel, with an overall classic touch.
Meaning & Origin of Blakely
Meaning: A dark (or possibly pale) meadow/clearing — the old english root is ambiguous between 'dark' and 'pale'.
Origin: English (surname/place name, variant of Blakeley: Old English 'blæc/blāc' + 'lēah').
A common claim: commonly glossed as 'dark meadow' Actually: the 'dark' sense is the popular pick, but Old English blæc (dark) and blāc (pale) look identical in modern spelling, so which sense underlies the name isn't fully certain.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Blakely
Phonetic: BLAYK-lee IPA: /ˈbleɪkli/
Popularity of Blakely
Blakely ranked #158 in 2024 with 1,882 babies given the name, close to its peak of #156 in 2021 with 1,836 babies — SSA records for the name run from 1920 through 2024.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1920–2024.
Make Blakely Name Art
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Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Blakely mean?
A dark (or possibly pale) meadow/clearing — the old english root is ambiguous between ‘dark’ and ‘pale’. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Blakely)
How do you pronounce Blakely?
Blakely is pronounced BLAYK-lee (IPA: /ˈbleɪkli/).
Is Blakely a popular name right now?
Blakely is near its all-time peak (#156 in 2021), ranked #158 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1920–2024.)
📊 How popular is Blakely? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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