Bradley

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A common English given name for males, or a surname shared by many families
2. A personal or family name used to identify an individual or household
3. A forename or surname with English origins, often found in both historical and contemporary contexts

Etymology: Bradley is a surname and place name rather than a common word, and its making is plain: it combines Old English "brād", meaning "broad", with "lēah", meaning "woodland" or "clearing". Put together, the name describes a broad wood or an open clearing among trees. Many English place names share this pattern, and the "-ley" ending is the same "lēah" that appears in countless villages across England. Over time, the place name passed into use as a family name, taken by people who came from or lived near such a spot. Its origin in the landscape is what gives it its meaning, so the name carries a picture of an open space in the forest.