boy's name
Ash
ASH (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 3,484
Ireland
#958
2025 births
Ash is a boy's name, also used for girls, meaning "ash tree," from the Old English word æsc. It works both as a nature name and as a short form of Ashley, Asher or Ashton.
- Ash is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2022, when 221 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 17,268 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1975.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ash Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 10 |
| 1980s | 14 |
| 1990s | 76 |
| 2000s | 364 |
| 2010s | 988 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 1,228 |
What Ash Means
Ash means the ash tree, a tall hardwood prized for its tough, springy timber. When it's short for Asher, the meaning changes to happy, so the sense of Ash depends on which longer name a family has in mind.
Where Ash Comes From
The tree word goes back to Old English æsc, which also meant a spear, since ash wood was used for spear shafts. It left its mark on English place names, and those places gave rise to the surname Ash, recorded early in Devon. Ashley began as one of those place names, joining the tree with a word for a clearing. Ash as a stand-alone first name mostly arose as a clipped form of Ashley and Ashton, then gained independent use as nature names spread. Asher, a Hebrew name meaning happy, is a separate root that happens to share the first syllable.
Ash in Use
Ash trees hold a large place in northern European myth: Norse tradition makes Yggdrasil, the world tree, an ash. Screen bearers include Ash Williams of the Evil Dead films, whose full first name is Ashley.
How Popular Is Ash?
In 2025, Ash was given to 192 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Ash Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Ash
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Ash Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ash over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Ash
- English ASH
Ash in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Ash
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Ash — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Ash
What does the name Ash mean?
It means the ash tree, from the Old English word æsc.
Is Ash a boy's or a girl's name?
It's used for both and leans strongly toward boys.
What is Ash short for?
Most often Ashley, Asher or Ashton, though it's now used as a full name too.
How popular is the name Ash?
In 2025, Ash was given to 192 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
How many syllables are in Ash?
Ash has 1 syllable.
When was Ash most popular?
Ash peaked in 2022, when 221 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Ash a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ash currently ranks #958 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.