Morley

At a Glance: Name: Morley – Meaning: moorland clearing (moor + wood/clearing) – Origin: Old English (surname) – Gender: used for both boys and girls – Pronunciation: MOR-lee

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Morley began as an Old English surname, drawn from the words for moor and wood or clearing, so it literally points to a moorland clearing. It's a name with a plainspoken, place-based origin rather than a decorative one. If you're weighing it for a child, the meaning here is settled fact, not folklore.

Meaning & Origin of Morley

Meaning: Moorland clearing (moor + wood/clearing).

Origin: Old English (surname).

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Morley

Phonetic: MOR-lee   IPA: /ˈmɔːrli/

Popularity of Morley

Morley peaked at #1622 on the SSA charts back in 1909, when 5 babies were given the name, and by 2024 it had fallen to #14670 with just 6 recorded. Over more than a century of data, it's stayed a rarely used name rather than following any rise-and-fall trend.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1909–2024.

Make Morley Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Morley, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

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.

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• Oria
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• Lera
• Launa
• Isidra

FAQ

What does the name Morley mean?

Moorland clearing (moor + wood/clearing). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Morley)

How do you pronounce Morley?

Morley is pronounced MOR-lee (IPA: /ˈmɔːrli/).

Is Morley a popular name right now?

Morley peaked at #1622 in 1909 and is ranked #14670 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1909–2024.)

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