The first name Ashley
A girl’s name from English meaning “ash tree”, “wood”, “clearing”.
Pronounced /ˈæʃli/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
English origin
Ashley means “ash tree”, “wood”, “clearing” in English.
From Old English *Æsċlēah, composed of æsċ (“ash tree”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”). Equivalent to Ash + -ley.
More names that mean forest.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 49 boys were named Ashley, making it the 716th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 1,874 births (#40).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Ashley with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Ashley at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,829 girls born in the United States were named Ashley, the 164th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1987, when 54,856 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Ashley in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Ashley
124 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Ashley TisdaleAmerican actress and singer-songwriter (born 1985)
- Ashley ColeEnglish association football player (born 1980)
- Ashley YoungEnglish association football player (born 1985)
- Ashley JuddAmerican actress, born 1968
- Ashley GreeneAmerican actress, born 1987
- Ashley BensonAmerican actress, born 1989
- Ashley OlsenAmerican businesswoman, fashion designer and actress (born 1986)
- Ashley GrahamAmerican model, born 1987
- Ashley JohnsonAmerican actress, born 1983
- Ashley BidenAmerican social worker and fashion designer (born 1981)
- Ashley BarnesEnglish footballer, born 1989
- Ashley RobertsAmerican singer, dancer and television personality, born 1981
More English girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Ashley mean?
- Ashley means “ash tree”, “wood”, “clearing” in English.
- What is the origin of the name Ashley?
- From Old English *Æsċlēah, composed of æsċ (“ash tree”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”). Equivalent to Ash + -ley.
- How popular is the name Ashley?
- In 2025, 49 boys born in England and Wales were named Ashley, ranking 716th. Its peak was 1996, with 1,874 births.
- Is Ashley a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 98% of the 875,722 US babies named Ashley since 1880 were girls.
- When was Ashley most popular?
- 1987 in the United States, when 54,856 babies were named Ashley, its highest rank at 2nd.
- How do you pronounce Ashley?
- Ashley is /ˈæʃli/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Ashley?
- Ashlee, Ashleigh, Ashlie and Ashly.
- Is Ashley also a surname?
- Yes. Ashley is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.