Stanley is an English surname and place name from the Old English stan and leah, meaning "stony clearing" or "stone meadow". The explorer Henry Morton Stanley and hockey's Stanley Cup made it widely known, and it was a top 50 name in America in the early 20th century. Stanley stood at number 505 in 2000, peaked at number 490 in 2002 and ranks number 863 among boys in 2025.