Kingsley is a distinctive choice, ranked #369 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Kingsley in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#369
US Rank #984
About the Name Kingsley
Kingsley has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 86 places in five years. It was most popular in 2019 at #274 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Kingsley is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it sits at #984 — notably more popular in the UK than across the Atlantic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Kingsley
Unlikely. With around 117 UK babies named Kingsley per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Kingsley in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Kingsley has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 86 places in the last five years. Its peak was #274 in 2019. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Kingsley is more popular in the UK (#369) than in the US (#984). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Notable people named Kingsley include: Kingsley Moghalu — Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu OON is a Nigerian political economist and the President of the African School of Governance (ASG), a pan-African graduate school...; Kingsley Hall — Kingsley Hall is a community centre, in Powis Road, Bromley-by-Bow in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.; Kingsley (surname) — Kingsley is an English surname..
Kingsley ranks #984 in the US top 1,000 (2024). It's recognised in America but considerably more popular in the UK.
117
UK babies named Kingsley (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 86 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Kingsley
Likely around 1 other Kingsley in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Kingsley
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu OON is a Nigerian political economist and the President of the African School of Governance (ASG), a pan-African graduate school focused on public policy and governance based in Kigali, Rwanda. He served as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, appointed by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, from 2009 to 2014.
Kingsley Hall is a community centre, in Powis Road, Bromley-by-Bow in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It dates back to the work of Doris and Muriel Lester, who had a nursery school in nearby Bruce Road.
Robert Gibson Kingsley was an American country music radio personality and a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame. He was best known as the host of two nationally syndicated radio programs: American Country Countdown (ACC) and Bob Kingsley's Country Top 40.
Kingsley is an English surname. Written in Old English as Cyningesleah, this locational surname roughly means "from the king's wood, glade or meadow," and derives from the Old English words Cyning (King) and leah (woodland clearing).
Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley, born Anta Madjiguène Ndiaye, also known as Anna Kingsley, Anta Majigeen Njaay or Anna Madgigine Jai, was a West African woman from present-day Senegal, who was enslaved and sold in Cuba, probably via the slave pens on Gorée Island. In Cuba she was purchased, as wife, by plantation owner and slave trader Zephaniah Kingsley.
Zephaniah Kingsley Jr. was an English-born planter, merchant and slave trader who moved as a child with his family to the Province of South Carolina and enjoyed a successful mercantile career.