Oakley, a surname-turned-given-name, is derived from the Old English elements ac (Middle English: oke), meaning "oak," and leah, meaning "meadow" or "clearing." Together, Oakley translates to "oak clearing." As a given name, it first appeared on the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 for boy names in 1901 and has been a top-500 boy's name every year since 2017. Oakley has become more popular for baby girls in recent years, debuting on the SSA's top 1,000 for girl names in 2013 and rising to the top-200 each year since 2021.
