Bentley is an English surname and place name from the Old English beonet and leah, meaning "bent-grass meadow" or "clearing of bent grass". To American ears it is above all the luxury car, and that touch of glamour explains why it caught on so quickly as a first name. Bentley entered the US top 1000 in 2007, raced into the top 100 by 2010 and peaked at number 75 in 2011; it has slowly cooled since and ranks number 215 in 2025.