Where does the name Ashley come from?

Ashley is a girl name of Old English origin.

Is Ashley a boy or a girl name?

Ashley is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 98% of children given the name Ashley are girls and 2% are boys.

How popular is the name Ashley in 2023?

Ashley ranks #126 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1987 with 55,265 babies.

How do you pronounce Ashley?

Ashley is pronounced ASH-lee (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Ashley?

Ashley is also written as Ashleigh, Ashlie, Ashly.

A name from Old English · Girl

Ashley

From Old English æsc ('ash tree') + lēah ('wood, clearing') — literally 'ash tree meadow'. Originally a unisex surname; now predominantly feminine in U.S. usage.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

855,788 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

2,213 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

AFrom Old English æsc ('ash tree') + lēah ('wood, clearing') — literally 'ash tree meadow'. Originally a unisex surname; now predominantly feminine in U.S. usage.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Ashley".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Ashleigh Most common Ashlie Ashly

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Ashley.

A
Ashley Olsen (actress)
A
Ashley Judd (actress)
A
Ashley Tisdale (actress)

Quick answers

People often ask about Ashley.

What does the name Ashley mean?: Ashley means from Old English æsc ('ash tree') + lēah ('wood, clearing') — literally 'ash tree meadow'. Originally a unisex surname; now predominantly feminine in U.S. usage.
Where does the name Ashley come from?: Ashley is a girl name of Old English origin.
Is Ashley a boy or a girl name?: Ashley is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 98% of children given the name Ashley are girls and 2% are boys.
How popular is the name Ashley in 2023?: Ashley ranks #126 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1987 with 55,265 babies.
How do you pronounce Ashley?: Ashley is pronounced ASH-lee (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Ashley?: Ashley is also written as Ashleigh, Ashlie, Ashly.

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From the Old English place name beofor ('beaver') + leah ('clearing'), originally a town and abbey in Yorkshire

Bradley

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From the Old English brad ('broad') + leah ('wood, clearing'); 'broad meadow'

Dale

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From Old English dæl meaning 'valley' — originally a surname for someone who lived in a valley

Earl

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From Old English eorl, the title of a nobleman ranking below a king — etymologically related to Old Norse jarl

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From the Middle English surname todde meaning 'fox' — a nickname applied to a cunning or fox-haired person

Rodney

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From an Old English place name combining a personal name Hroda ('famous') with eg ('island'); originally a surname tied to Stoke Rodney in Somerset

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.