Bentley: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Boy name origins & meanings

Latin : Anglicized version of Benedict
Old English : From the moor
English: Meadow with coarse grass

What does Bentley mean and stand for?

The name Bentley is of English origin and means "meadow with coarse grass." Originally a British surname, it was a place name that derives from the Old English beonet, meaning "bent grass" and leah, meaning "woodland, clearing".

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

English : habitational name from any of various places, the chief of which are in Derbyshire, Essex, Hampshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and East and South Yorkshire. The place name is from Old English beonet ‘bent grass’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’.
Probably an Americanized spelling of Swiss Bandle or Bandli or German Bentele, all short forms of the medieval personal name Pantaleon (see Pantaleo).

Famous people with this last name

Dierks Bentley

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Bentley has been slowly decreasing in popularity after rapidly increasing for some time. In 2007, Bentley ranked 995, jumping to the top 100 in 2010. It stayed in the top 100 until 2016, and despite the small decline since, Bentley remains in the top 150.

However, it is the 6th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Bentley was at its peak popularity in April 2017.

Bentley started as a British surname before rising in popularity, largely due to fan favorite Maci Bookout's choice to name her son Bentley on 16 and Pregnant/Teen Mom. Other notable namesakes are actor Bentley Mitchum and singer Dierks Bentley. Bentley was also a character in Dickens' Great Expectations.