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Ashley as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Ashley

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The baby name Ashley is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈæʃli/ (ASH-lee).

Ashley is English in Origin.

Gender: Unisex
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈæʃli/ (ASH-lee)

What is the meaning of the name Ashley ?

The baby name Ashley is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈæʃli/ (ASH-lee).

Ashley is English in Origin.

Ashley is an English surname-turned-given name derived from place-names meaning “ash-tree clearing.” It combines Old English æsc, “ash,” and lēah, “wood, meadow, or clearing.” Numerous villages called Ashley across England produced the surname, which later migrated to personal-name use. The imagery evokes resilience and renewal associated with the ash tree.

As a given name, Ashley was long used for boys in Britain and appeared for American males as well; the genteel male character Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind reinforced that image. From the late 1960s onward it shifted heavily toward girls in the United States, reaching the number-one spot in the early 1990s, yet it remains technically unisex. Common variants include Ashleigh (especially British), Ashlee, Ashlie, Ashli, and Ashly; short forms are Ash and, occasionally, Lee/Leigh. The name is widespread across the English-speaking world and readily borrowed internationally.

Ashley has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Ashley

Ashley Judd Actor · Born 1968 · United States Ashley Judd is an American actor best known for her roles in films like 'Double Jeopardy' and 'Kiss the Girls'. She has also appeared in 'A Time to Kill'. Born in 1968, she is part of the famous Judd family, which includes her mother Naomi Judd and sister Wynonna Judd, both of whom are well-known in the music industry. Ashley Greene Actor · Born 1987 · United States Ashley Greene is an American actor best known for her role as Alice Cullen in the Twilight film series. She starred alongside Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in this popular vampire saga. Born in 1987, Greene has also appeared in films like 'LOL' and 'The Apparition'. Ashley Benson Actor · Born 1989 · United States Ashley Benson is an American actor best known for her role as Hanna Marin in the popular TV series Pretty Little Liars. She has also appeared in films like Spring Breakers and Pixels, showcasing her versatility on screen.
Ashley Olsen Actor · Born 1986 · United States Ashley Olsen is an American actress and fashion designer who first gained fame as a child star on the TV show Full House, where she played Michelle Tanner alongside her twin sister Mary-Kate. She later became a prominent figure in the fashion industry with the launch of her luxury brand, The Row. Ashley Johnson Actor · Born 1983 · United States Ashley Johnson is an American actor best known for her role as Ellie in the critically acclaimed video game 'The Last of Us'. She also starred in the TV series 'Blindspot' and lent her voice to the character of Gretchen Grundler in the animated series 'Recess'. Ashley Rickards Actor · Born 1992 · United States Ashley Rickards is best known for her role as Jenna Hamilton on the MTV series Awkward. She also appeared in the film Fly Away and had a recurring role on the show One Tree Hill.

Ashley – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Ireland Boys 2020 #1 — 780
Germany Girls 2019 #1 — 436
FJ 0 #6 1 374
KR Girls 0 #11 5 572
BW 0 #18 2 960
SV Girls 0 #18 1 458
NA 0 #19 15 2,537
HN 0 #21 2 704
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
BN 0 #29 4 2,297
HT Boys 0 #32 3 903
HN Girls 0 #37 2 884
JM Girls 0 #40 408 7,507
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
CM 0 #46 10 2,592
MO 0 #48 5 2,706
JM 0 #49 39 3,714
PR 0 #49 7 1,497
New Zealand Girls 2010 #51 61 98
ZA 0 #56 574 14,421
TW 0 #57 44 4,523
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JP 0 #68 10 4,057
IN 0 #70 2 2,963
CN 0 #72 14 3,857
CR 0 #72 90 5,526
AZ Girls 0 #75 1 1,051
AL 0 #76 1 2,372
MU Boys 0 #76 509 8,477
PH Girls 0 #78 475 13,098
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
PR Girls 0 #81 90 3,171
BN Girls 0 #83 24 5,459
PH 0 #84 13 5,607
QA 0 #89 12 7,011
ID Girls 0 #101 2 3,319
EC 0 #104 12 2,502
PA Girls 0 #108 712 9,861
NA Girls 0 #111 120 7,146
BW Girls 0 #113 36 4,216
KW 0 #114 8 5,216
MU 0 #114 23 3,613
TW Girls 0 #115 185 8,139
PA 0 #118 13 3,797
OM 0 #119 3 6,215
United States Girls 2024 #122 2,231 8,487
CR Girls 0 #122 885 11,342
CY Girls 0 #124 2 3,755
Switzerland Girls 2024 #128 8 1,786
CY Boys 0 #128 4 3,473
IQ 0 #132 2 3,533
ID Boys 0 #134 2 4,130
SG Girls 0 #135 841 18,916
ZA Boys 0 #135 4,726 25,619
RS Girls 0 #136 2 1,651
BN Boys 0 #137 3 6,332
CN Girls 0 #139 300 8,829
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
MT Girls 0 #142 10 3,773
SG 0 #146 130 11,010
BW Boys 0 #148 7 4,685
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
MO Girls 0 #152 106 7,056
AE 0 #156 22 10,220
QA Girls 0 #159 164 15,378
KW Girls 0 #160 434 19,177
Belgium Girls 2020 #166 24 416
MT Boys 0 #172 8 4,064
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
PR Boys 0 #178 1 2,508
Sweden Girls 2021 #181 3 1,666
EC Girls 0 #181 59 3,650
CZ 0 #185 2 3,154
LU Girls 0 #185 6 4,850
RU 0 #186 9 3,641
HK Girls 0 #190 788 16,104
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
NA Boys 0 #193 43 6,830
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
DK 0 #202 5 5,198
Canada Girls 2024 #206 80 2,795
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
AO Girls 0 #213 5 4,575
JP Girls 0 #217 29 6,592
BG Boys 0 #218 3 3,850
CM Girls 0 #218 446 11,671
PS 0 #218 9 5,692
LU Boys 0 #219 2 4,970
Belgium Boys 1995 #222 28 433
MY 0 #222 114 12,352
HU Girls 0 #223 3 3,308
AL Girls 0 #225 3 4,141
JM Boys 0 #226 47 6,876
BG Girls 0 #228 4 3,559
MO Boys 0 #229 6 5,842
IR 0 #230 2 4,221
GH 0 #234 10 5,396
BD 0 #241 1 5,992
NL Girls 0 #242 1,568 5,933
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
EC Boys 0 #246 1 3,322
AO Boys 0 #247 3 5,568
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
NG 0 #254 11 5,926
TW Boys 0 #254 3 7,111
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
France Girls 2021 #266 147 3,185
GT 0 #269 46 5,948
AE Girls 0 #273 299 20,968
HK 0 #273 76 8,483
IL 0 #276 7 6,291
OM Girls 0 #276 121 15,987
SA 0 #277 19 10,560
GT Girls 0 #286 245 7,500
NL 0 #287 105 2,481
HR Girls 0 #292 3 3,687
GH Girls 0 #293 32 6,973
KZ Boys 0 #295 2 6,578
PE 0 #297 14 6,350
JP Boys 0 #299 5 7,909
Canada Boys 2022 #303 8 2,557
DK Girls 0 #303 14 7,429
KZ Girls 0 #303 18 5,862
CZ Boys 0 #304 2 6,530
JO Girls 0 #304 22 7,570
ZA Girls 0 #322 1,866 25,928
CZ Girls 0 #328 14 5,378
CN Boys 0 #329 3 9,639
PH Boys 0 #329 55 11,440
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
GH Boys 0 #334 12 8,138
MU Girls 0 #335 17 8,539
PL Boys 0 #338 3 6,459
MY Girls 0 #342 1,036 24,821
PL Girls 0 #343 12 5,096
MX Girls 0 #348 2,270 17,781
SD Girls 0 #354 5 7,678
BR 0 #357 4 5,969
MX 0 #362 52 8,339
BO 0 #369 13 6,868
YE 0 #372 10 8,639
PT Boys 0 #374 8 7,951
Finland Girls 0 #379 13 1,368
France Boys 2021 #381 7 2,865
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
EG 0 #391 10 6,387
SA Girls 0 #391 648 25,931
CL 0 #395 17 6,867
BD Girls 0 #400 7 8,413
Austria Girls 0 #403 18 1,885
RU Girls 0 #412 87 11,913
UY Boys 0 #412 2 5,922
PT Girls 0 #417 35 7,952
Germany 0 #422 16 2,542
Spain 0 #427 26 2,326
CO 0 #439 42 7,768
HK Boys 0 #440 88 12,905
BH 0 #446 108 17,937
CO Girls 0 #452 1,079 16,140
CL Girls 0 #465 464 14,098
PE Girls 0 #465 674 14,861
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
PA Boys 0 #471 11 9,305
UY Girls 0 #471 40 6,731
CR Boys 0 #478 10 10,188
PS Girls 0 #480 44 10,981
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
NG Girls 0 #483 353 15,093
IQ Girls 0 #488 17 11,303
RU Boys 0 #490 16 12,621
GT Boys 0 #493 7 7,625
SG Boys 0 #502 200 17,960
CM Boys 0 #505 46 12,054
BO Girls 0 #518 94 9,488
IR Girls 0 #519 12 8,334
LY 0 #525 11 12,703
PS Boys 0 #535 14 10,655
AR Girls 0 #563 37 8,289
IL Girls 0 #563 55 11,648
IR Boys 0 #563 3 10,162
IL Boys 0 #595 13 10,983
IN Girls 0 #602 30 13,121
BD Boys 0 #603 3 10,045
BO Boys 0 #616 7 9,244
IT 0 #629 86 4,183
LB 0 #634 25 13,263
CL Boys 0 #645 21 13,390
Finland Boys 2026 #676 7 3,552
QA Boys 0 #676 32 18,093
IQ Boys 0 #691 7 13,071
Finland Girls 2026 #699 40 3,895
Germany Girls 0 #703 137 4,949
KW Boys 0 #706 64 18,755
Spain Girls 0 #715 277 5,561
SY 0 #762 6 11,684
BR Boys 0 #778 8 12,213
TN 0 #811 19 13,765
OM Boys 0 #824 58 17,948
BR Girls 0 #829 113 12,708
NL Boys 0 #851 101 5,873
PE Boys 0 #851 28 14,506
IT Girls 0 #860 683 9,415
NG Boys 0 #863 89 16,906
United States Boys 2024 #865 28 7,044
EG Boys 0 #866 21 15,035
Spain Boys 0 #876 55 5,610
CO Boys 0 #887 34 15,656
EG Girls 0 #891 69 14,742
MX Boys 0 #900 83 16,355
Germany Boys 0 #936 17 5,697
MY Boys 0 #944 168 25,439
AE Boys 0 #954 139 22,615
IN Boys 0 #969 33 16,750
MA 0 #1,065 64 20,986
DZ 0 #1,133 44 20,130
TR 0 #1,137 75 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,345 127 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,498 117 28,008

Ashley is popular in 92 countries — most recent births per country:

Ireland
Scotland, United Kingdom
France
Ireland
Canada

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Ashley

Ashley is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Ashley is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈæʃli/ (ASH-lee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Ashleigh, Ashlee, Ashlie, Ashly, Ashli and Ashlea.
Across languages, Ashley has these equivalents: Ash (nickname), Ashlyn (related modern name), Ashley (historically used as a masculine name).
Yes, very popular — Ashley ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Ashley ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yes — 22 notable people named Ashley are in our database, including Ashley Judd (Actor), Ashley Greene (Actor), Ashley Benson (Actor).