Parley is a masculine given name of Anglo-Norman derivation, originating from the Middle French parler, “to speak,” and initially denoting a formal conference or negotiation before being adopted as an occupational surname in medieval England and, subsequently, as a forename within Anglo-American usage. An analytical examination of Social Security Administration data demonstrates that Parley has preserved a consistently low frequency: in 2024, eight newborns received the name, yielding a rank of 916, a pattern that echoes similar episodic fluctuations—such as early-1980s and late-19th-century peaks—yet never attaining widespread adoption. Phonetically rendered in English as PAR-lee (/ˈpɑrli/), the name evokes associations of discourse and diplomacy, offering a choice marked by historical depth and semantic precision.
| Parley P. Pratt - |