Meaning & Origin
A habitational surname from Old English.
Stanley is a boy's and girl's baby name of Old English origin, from the habitational surname meaning "stony clearing" — from Old English stān ("stone") and lēah ("woodland clearing"). Multiple English villages bear the name, and it transferred to first-name use in the 19th century.
Stanley was a top-20 U.S. boys' name in the 1920s and 1930s. Film director Stanley Kubrick and actor Stanley Tucci represent its range — from intense artistic visionary to charming sophisticate. The nickname Stan has taken on new cultural life as internet slang for a devoted fan, giving the name an unexpectedly modern echo.