Total births
2,294
Unisex name · since 1880
Chesley
2,294 babies named Chesley in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1923. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 2,294
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
Chesley sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 2,294 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Chesley has been recorded 2,294 times among boys since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- 2,294 total births
- 1880–2025 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 16% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
2,294 boys have been named Chesley since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2025.
- 2,294
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 16%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Chesley was born in this single decade.
1923
Single peak year
48 babies were named Chesley in 1923 - its busiest year on record.
Chesley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Chesley's SSA record in two at 1951 and the more recent half accounts for 41% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 59%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1923 peak of 48, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Chesley at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1923
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Chesley popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1923)
- 48
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Chesley popularity over time - girls
625 total births recorded since 1921 (Chesley as girls' name)
Chesley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Chesley's strongest decade.
378 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Chesley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 46
1880s
46 births
- 1890s 61
1890s
61 births
- 1900s 66
1900s
66 births
- 1910s
1910s
241 births
- 1920s
1920s
378 births
- 1930s
1930s
270 births
- 1940s
1940s
263 births
- 1950s
1950s
218 births
- 1960s 151
1960s
151 births
- 1970s
1970s
161 births
- 1980s
1980s
165 births
- 1990s 113
1990s
113 births
- 2000s 65
2000s
65 births
- 2010s 66
2010s
66 births
- 2020s 30
2020s
30 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 378 births (16% of all-time use).
How Chesley compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Chesley's total volume
Chesley vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Chesley by state
Where Chesley concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 55 | 2.4% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 21 | 0.9% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 16 | 0.7% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 10 | 0.4% |
| #5 | California | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 5 | 0.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 5 | 0.2% |
Texas share of Chesley's total US births 2.4%
Even split
55 of 2,294 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Chesley appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Chesley? ▼
Chesley has been given to 2,294 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2025. 48 babies were born in 1923, its single highest year.
When was Chesley most popular? ▼
Chesley was most popular in the 1920s decade with 378 total births. The single peak year was 1923.
Where is Chesley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Chesley are Texas (55 births), Tennessee (21 births), Georgia (16 births).
Is Chesley a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Chesley is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 2,294 births, and as a girl's name it has 625 births.
How long has the name Chesley been used? ▼
Records for Chesley go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Chesley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Chester, Chet, Chevy, Cheyenne, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Chesley's data
- Chesley's decade-level peak was the 1920s (378 total births); usage has since declined to 30 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Chesleys (55 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Chesley
Nearby Names Like Chesley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Chesley
Chester Boy
#1650 121,474 births
Chet Boy
#2104 6,180 births
Chevy Boy
#1647 3,794 births
Cheyenne Boy
#10049 2,696 births
Che Boy
#5964 2,105 births
Compare Chesley side by side: Chesley vs Chester Chesley vs Chet Chesley vs Chevy
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Zaden #2626
2,293 births · Peak 2012
Mckay #3621
2,296 births · Peak 1995
Shayan #1762
2,296 births · Peak 2024
Babyboy #3132
2,291 births · Peak 1998
Neftali #4231
2,290 births · Peak 2003
Landis #5921
2,299 births · Peak 2006
Braedyn #5345
2,299 births · Peak 2010
Blain #9919
2,289 births · Peak 2003
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Chesley: Baby Name Since 1880 - 2,294 Births, Peak 1923." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/chesley. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Chesley draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.