Whitley is an English surname and place name that means "white meadow" or white clearing, from the Old English hwit and leah. As a first name it follows the pattern of Ainsley, Hadley and Presley, surnames with a soft -ley ending that American parents have adopted for girls. In the United States Whitley was number 1144 in 2015, entered the top 1000 in 2018 and has climbed to 677 in 2025, its best rank so far.