Hadley is an English surname and place name meaning "heather field", from the Old English haeth, heather, and leah, clearing. Hadley Richardson, Ernest Hemingway's first wife, has made the name a favorite with literary-minded parents. Hadley ranked number 921 in 2000, touched the top 100 at number 100 in 2014 and has stayed close to it since, standing at number 121 in 2025.