Arley

Arley is an English place-name surname associated with more than one location, including places in Cheshire, Lancashire, and Worcestershire. The ending belongs to the widespread landscape element for a clearing or woodland. Because the surname can come from different places, its full interpretation depends on which local history is involved.

As a first name, Arley has also been used beyond England, including in Latin America. Arlie is a close alternative spelling. Its familiar -ley ending places it beside many other surname names, but resemblance to Harley or Arlo does not establish a shared derivation. For a family preserving an Arley surname or place connection, that specific history can be more useful than a single generalized animal or landscape meaning.