Names › Boys' names › B › Bentley
Bentley
Meaning: bent-grass woodland clearing · Origin: English · Gender: usually a boy's name
Origin & history
Bentley comes from English place names built from Old English beonet, 'bent grass', and leah, 'woodland clearing'. It became a fashionable surname-style first name.
Popularity of Bentley in the US, 1880–2025
2025: 1,649 US baby boys named Bentley — #215 for boys · Peak: 5,895 in 2012 · 1950: 10 · 2000: 39 · 2020: 2,590
Source: US Social Security Administration (SSA) national baby-name data, 1880–2025 (names.zip). Counts are babies of that gender given exactly this spelling each year; SSA leaves out a name in any year with fewer than 5 births.
How to pronounce Bentley
BENT-lee · IPA /ˈbɛntli/ (common American English pronunciation)
Language of origin
English surname/place name — bent-grass clearing
How the meaning and use of Bentley developed
Bentley comes from English place names referring to a clearing with bent grass and became a modern first name.
Related names from the same root
Sibling names that go well with Bentley
Sister: Oakley · Blakely
Brother: Beckham · Camden
Our editorial suggestions — similar era, style and length — chosen from names with full pages on this site.
Nicknames
Ben
Variants & related names
Bentlee
Bentley name art
A free preview of a printable “Bentley” poster with its meaning — great for a nursery, a birthday or a gift.
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FAQ
What does the name Bentley mean?
Bentley means “bent-grass woodland clearing”. It comes from English.
How do you pronounce Bentley?
Bentley is usually pronounced BENT-lee (/ˈbɛntli/).
Is Bentley a popular name?
In 2025, Bentley ranked #215 among boys' names in the United States, given to 1,649 baby boys, according to US Social Security Administration data. Its peak year was 2012 (5,895 babies).
What are nicknames for Bentley?
Ben.
What are other forms of Bentley?
Bentlee.
What are good sibling names for Bentley?
Sister: Oakley, Blakely. Brother: Beckham, Camden.
Similar names
Wade · Archer · Sonny · Walker · Jaxon · Greyson
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Sources: standard name etymology references (e.g. Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names); popularity from US SSA and UK ONS baby-name data. Meanings of old names are often debated — where scholars disagree we say so.