Binkley
A surname most often understood as a variant of a Germanic or English place-name style surname, likely referring to a bent or hooked clearing or field.
The #4,912 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 43,127 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Binkley is generally treated as a habitational surname, formed from a place-name or topographic nickname rather than from an occupation or personal trait. The final element -ley is the common Old English word for a clearing, meadow, or piece of open ground, while the first element is probably a dialectal or Germanic form related to a bend, bank, or hooked shape. In some cases the name may reflect an anglicized spelling of a similar German surname, which would make the exact root harder to pin down.
History
The surname is relatively uncommon and appears mainly in the English-speaking world, especially the United States. Because spellings were often flexible in immigration and record-keeping, Binkley may represent more than one unrelated line of origin. Modern bearers may descend from English local-name roots, German immigrant families, or later spelling changes that converged on the same form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Names ending in -ley are among the clearest clues to English-style place-name surnames, because the ending usually points to an ancient clearing or meadow.