Chesley
Masculine · “From an English surname”
Chesley is given to both — 2,294 boys and 625 girls since 1880. See Chesley as a girl nameSee other names given to both
Chesley is an English surname used as a first name, and two Americans who carried it made the sky feel closer: a pilot who brought a powerless airliner down safely on the Hudson, and a painter who showed Americans what Saturn would look like before any spacecraft left the ground.
How old is the name Chesley?
Chesley was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Chesley alive today was born around 1944, making them about 81 years old. About 1,000 people named Chesley are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Chesley most popular?
Chesley peaked in 1894, reaching #631 nationally. Today it ranks #7194, 6,563 places below that high. See the whole 1894 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
The story of Chesley
Chesley was in use as a first name in America when federal records began, most often for boys. During the Second World War Life magazine published Chesley Bonestell's painting of Saturn as seen from its moon Titan, and his precise, luminous space art went on to shape how a generation imagined space travel, in magazines, books and films. In 2009 Captain Chesley Sullenberger, known as Sully, lost both engines of his airliner to a flock of geese after takeoff from LaGuardia and landed it on the Hudson River; all 155 people aboard survived.
Meaningscholars disagree
From an English surname, probably a place name
Chesley is an English surname, probably from a place name ending in ley, 'clearing'; the first element is not settled.
Pronouncing Chesley
CHEZ-lee
Two syllables with the stress on the first.
Nicknames for Chesley
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most boys named
- 192348 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #631reached in 1894
- Change vs 2016
- +37.5%11 in 2025, from 8
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Chesleys among us
people named Chesley are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 155,280 born in 2025 was named Chesley
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Chesley sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Chesley beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Chesley in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- Carries two admired modern bearers.
- Easy to say and spell.
- Rare, so a Chesley is unlikely to meet another.
- People will hear Chelsea or Wesley.
- As a surname-first name it may be taken for a last name.
- Most children with this spelling are boys, but a real minority are girls; either may be taken for the other.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Chesley to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Chesley? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Chesley
Masculine · #7194 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Chesleys are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 1,000 people named Chesley are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Chesley in 2025?
- Chesley ranks #7194 among US boy names in 2025, with 11 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Chesley?
- About 1 in every 155,280 US boys born in 2025 was named Chesley — 11 in all.
- Will my child share the name Chesley with classmates?
- Chesley will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Chesley
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Junius#7194 · Orie#7194 · Shade#7194 · Joesph#7194 · Lofton#7194 · Macon#7194 · Landis#7194 · Benjiman#7194
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Chesley? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Chesley and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
No advertising trackers and no data sellinghow we handle your dataindependent and founder-run, about Name Battle