Ashley: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced ASH-lee · 2 syllables

Ashley means “ash tree; wood, clearing”, from English.

From Old English *Aescleah, composed of aesc (“ash tree”) + leah (“wood, clearing”). Equivalent to Ash + -ley.

How popular is Ashley?

Ashley was the #164 name in the US in 2025, given to 1,856 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 55% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1980.

Babies named Ashley in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1980).

Half of US adults named Ashley are older than 36; most are between 21 and 45. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Ashley have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Ashley means “ash tree; wood, clearing”. It comes from English.

Ashley is pronounced ASH-lee.

Ashley was the #164 name in the US in 2025, given to 1,856 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 55% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1980.

Half of US adults named Ashley are older than 36. Most are between 21 and 45.