Berkley is a spelling of Berkeley, an English surname and place name from Old English beorc and leah, meaning "birch clearing" or "birch wood". Americans associate it with the university town in California and with the philosopher George Berkeley, after whom it was named. As a girls' name Berkley entered the top 1000 in 2018, peaked at number 798 in 2021 and ranks 888th in 2025.