Hinsley
A masculine English name possibly derived from a place name meaning "high clearing".
Name Census estimates that about 70 living Americans carry the first name Hinsley. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hinsley today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hinsley births was 2019 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hinsley. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hinsley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
70
~ 1 in 4,896,491 Americans
Peak year
2019
11 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,073
Tracked since 2013
Popularity
Hinsley: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hinsley from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 37 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hinsley by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hinsley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hinsley
The name Hinsley is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. Its roots can be traced back to the Old English words "hine" meaning "servant" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." Combined, these words suggest that Hinsley may have originally referred to someone who lived or worked in a meadow or clearing, perhaps as a servant or laborer.
One of the earliest known records of the name Hinsley dates back to the 13th century, when a person named Richard de Hyndesleye was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. This spelling variation highlights the evolving nature of the name over time.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Hinsley was recorded as a member of the Parliament of England, representing the borough of Wigan in Lancashire in 1376. This historical reference suggests that the name had gained some prominence and recognition during that period.
During the Renaissance era, a notable bearer of the name Hinsley was Sir John Hinsley (c. 1480 - c. 1530), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament who served as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas. His position and status indicate that the name had gained social standing and respect.
Moving into the 17th century, another prominent individual named Hinsley was William Hinsley (c. 1590 - c. 1660), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Coventry and later became the rector of Tachbrook in Warwickshire.
In more recent history, one of the most well-known figures with the name Hinsley was Arthur Hinsley (1865 - 1943), an English cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Archbishop of Westminster and became a prominent figure in the Catholic community during his lifetime.
While these are just a few examples, the name Hinsley has a rich history that spans centuries, with various bearers leaving their mark in different fields, from law and politics to religion and academia. Its origins as a surname rooted in Old English provide a glimpse into the cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped the name over time.
People
Hinsley + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hinsley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hinsley: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hinsley?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 70 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hinsley going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,896,491 US residents.
Is Hinsley a common name?
We classify Hinsley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 70 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hinsley most popular?
The single biggest year for Hinsley was 2019, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hinsley is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hinsley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hinsley a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hinsley in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hinsley still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hinsley in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hinsley can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Hinsley as a first name?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.