girl's name
Ashley
ASH-lee
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 929,407
the United States
#164
2025 births
Ashley is a name of Old English origin meaning "ash tree clearing." It was a boys' name for eight centuries and is now given almost entirely to girls — one of the most complete gender flips in our records.
- Ashley is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1987, when 55,265 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,786 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Ashley started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Ashley over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 80 |
| 1890s | 108 |
| 1900s | 96 |
| 1910s | 365 |
| 1920s | 464 |
| 1930s | 305 |
| 1940s | 689 |
| 1950s | 880 |
| 1960s | 3,865 |
| 1970s | 25,272 |
| 1980s | 357,399 |
| 1990s | 303,144 |
| 2000s | 133,706 |
| 2010s | 37,550 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 11,799 |
What Ashley means
Ashley means the clearing where ash trees grow, from the Old English æsc, ash, and leah, a woodland clearing. Both are ordinary landscape words, which is why the name appears independently across several English counties.
Where Ashley comes from
Ashley comes from English place names combining æsc, the ash tree, with leah, a clearing — the same leah behind Oakley, Bradley and Harley. Families took it as a surname, and it returned as a male first name; Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind, published 1936, is male. Its shift to female use began in America in the 1960s and was largely complete within twenty years. Flips in the other direction happen too and are simply less famous: Jean, Ollie and Cruz all moved from female to male in our records.
Ashley in use
Our data shows Ashley falling, peaking in 1987, and it first appears in our records in 1880. It is among the clearest of our 336 detected gender flips, alongside Kelly, Lauren, Taylor, Madison and Aubrey. The split is closer than reputation suggests — 193 male-to-female against 143 female-to-male — so what is really one-sided is which flips become well known, not which happen.
How popular is Ashley?
In 2025, Ashley was given to 1,856 babies in the United States, ranking #164 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Ashley 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 Ashley
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Ashley also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Ashley over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Ashley
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Ashley 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 Ashley
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Ashley — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Ashley
What does the name Ashley mean?
Ashley means "ash tree clearing," from the Old English æsc, ash, and leah, a clearing.
Was Ashley originally a boy's name?
Yes, for around eight centuries. Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind is male.
Do names ever flip from female to male?
Yes, and more often than people assume. Our data holds 193 male-to-female flips against 143 the other way — Jean, Ollie and Cruz all moved female to male.
How popular is the name Ashley?
In 2025, Ashley was given to 1,856 babies in the United States, ranking #164 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
How many syllables are in Ashley?
Ashley has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Ashley?
Ashley is usually shortened to Ash.
Is Ashley a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Ashley currently ranks #164 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.