Bradley is a highly popular boys' name in England & Wales, ranking #31 in 1996 with 2,557 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 1997 with 2,745 births ranking #28. In 1996, approximately 1 in every 125 boys born was named Bradley. STABLE Recent data shows the name is currently stable.
Bradley is an English place-name and surname name meaning something like "broad meadow" or "broad clearing". It has an easy familiarity that has helped it last through changing fashions.
The name moved into common first-name use in the twentieth century and became especially familiar in Britain and the United States. It feels traditional enough to be stable without sounding old-fashioned.