What Does the Name Harley Mean?

Harley is a unisex name of Old English (surname/place-name-derived) origin meaning “"Hare meadow / rock meadow" (hara or hær + leah "clearing").”

Updated June 2026

Name	Harley
Gender	unisex
Origin	Old English (surname/place-name-derived)
Meaning	"Hare meadow / rock meadow" (hara or hær + leah "clearing")
Variants	Harleigh, Harly, Harlee, Harlie
Popularity	Once chiefly a boys' name; the spellings Harlow/Harleigh and the character Harley Quinn boosted female use, and it is now used for both sexes.

The meaning and origin of Harley

The name Harley means “"Hare meadow / rock meadow" (hara or hær + leah "clearing")” and has Old English (surname/place-name-derived) origins. From an English place name and surname, from Old English meaning "hare's meadow" or "rock clearing" (hær/hara + leah). Associated culturally with Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Variants and related names

Harley is related to several other names you may recognize: Harleigh, Harly, Harlee, Harlie. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Harley?

Once chiefly a boys' name; the spellings Harlow/Harleigh and the character Harley Quinn boosted female use, and it is now used for both sexes.

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