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Harley

Boy / Girl name · 1,314 babies recorded · 1974–2025

Harley: 1,314 babies born in Scotland since 1974, given to both boys and girls, peaking at 64 births in 2017.

Harley is a name of Old English origin, deriving from the words *hara* (hare) and *lēah* (wood or clearing), so it originally described someone who lived by a "hare's meadow." It began as a surname before gaining traction as a first name, and in Scotland it rose in popularity particularly during the 1980s and 1990s. Harley is famously associated with the fictional bad boy Harley David "HD" from the 1990s soap operas, though the name’s most famous bearer may be the American outlaw biker icon Harley-Davidson, whose surname became a global brand. The name also connects to the historic Harley Street in London, long synonymous with private medical practice. A notable variant is the feminine spelling Harleigh, though the original form remains the most common in Scotland.