Ashley is derived from the Old English words æsc (ash) and lēah (forest glade). It originally referred to a meadow where ash trees were found, and then became an English family name.
How Popular Is the Name Ashley?
Ashley was among the top 10 names for girls in America for over twenty years, from 1983 until 2005, peaking at No. 1 in 1991 and 1992. In the first half of the twentieth century, Ashley was more commonly used as a masculine name. This shifted in the 1960s when it started gaining popularity as a name for girls. By the mid-1990s, Ashley was used almost exclusively as a girl name; since 1994, it has not ranked among the top 1000 names for boys in the U.S. Ashley remains a fairly popular name for girls. The latest statistics rank Ashley as the No. 154 name for girls in America. Keep in mind that, while the name Ashley is now more commonly used for girls, it can be used any way you see fit, as sex does not have to be a part of your name selection process.
Name Variations
When Ashley was mainly in use as a masculine name, Ashleigh was sometimes used as a feminine variation. Now it is merely an alternate spelling, along with Ashlea, Ashlee, Ashli, Ashlie, and Ashly.
Similar Names
If you’re looking for an alternative to Ashley, there is the biblical name Asher, which comes from a Hebrew word meaning “happy” or “blessing.” This is a traditionally masculine name but can be used for boys or girls. The name Ashlyn (also spelled Ashlin or Ashlynn) bears a resemblance to Ashley but it is actually derived from the Irish name Aisling which means “dream” or “vision.” There are several other popular girl names ending in -ley:
AinsleyBrinleyFinleyHadleyHaileyKinsleyPaisleyRiley
Any of these can also be spelled with the -lee, -leigh, -lie, or -ly ending. More girl names starting with A:
Abigail Addison Alyssa Amanda Amelia Anna Aria Aubrey Autumn Ava Avery
Suggested Sibling Names
Possible names to go along with Ashley are:
Adam Andrew Danielle Kayla Lauren Matthew Nicholas Nicole Ryan
Famous People Named Ashley
Although Ashley is more popular among girls now, there are a plethora of famous female and male Ashleys.
Female Ashleys
Ashleigh Banfield, Canadian-American journalistAshley Benson, American actressAshley Biden, American social worker and activist, President Biden’s daughter Ashley Bouder, American ballet dancer, principal dancer at the New York City BalletAshley Eckstein, American voice actress known for her roles in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Sofia the First”Ashley Frangipane, known professionally as Halsey, American singer and songwriterAshley Greene, American actressAshley Harkleroad, American tennis playerAshley Jensen, British actressAshley Johnson, American actress and singerAshley Judd, American actressAshley Nicole Black, American comedian and writerAshley Olsen, American actressAshley Roberts, pop singer with the band Pussycat DollsAshley Tisdale, American singer and actressAshlee Simpson, American pop/rock singer and actress, younger sister of Jessica Simpson
Male Ashleys
Ashley Cole, English footballerAshley Cooper, Australian tennis playerAshley Fisher, Australian tennis playerAshley Giles, English cricketerAshley Hutchings, British folk musicianAshley MacIsaac, Canadian professional fiddlerAshley Montagu, British anthropologist and humanistAshley Walters, British actorAshley Young, English footballer
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