Bradley is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Bradley means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Bradley across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Bradley has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Bradley is a boy name of Old English origin meaning “broad clearing”. originally a place name and surname.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 314,957 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 30,174 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 1,597 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 559 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 715 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,910 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Bradley per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1980 (7,262/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (2,745/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1998 (84/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2015 (47/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (44/yr).
Bradley has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1980, when it ranked #91 nationally (given to 7,271 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Bradly · Bartley · Bradlee · Bradleigh · Bradely · Britley
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