Ashley
Ashley was the 164th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,829 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 1st; the most babies were born in 1987 (54,856). Over the last ten years it has moved down 78 places. More babies were named Ashley in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning ash-tree clearing (place name) · Old English
Say it ASH-lee /ˈæʃli/
- Rank in 2025
- #164 girls, down 11 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,829girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 198754,856 babies
- Total since 1880
- 875,722babies recorded
What does the name Ashley mean?
Ashley is an English place name and surname from Old English aesc, 'ash tree', and leah, 'wood, clearing'. Wikipedia notes that it began as a first name in England after 1860, likely in honor of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. For a long time it was mainly a boy's name; in the US it later became far more common for girls.
æsc (Old English, “ash tree”)lēah (Old English, “wood, clearing”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Ashleigh, Ashlee, Ash, Ashlyn.
See also: English names, names that mean tree, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Ashley', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Ashley (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Ashley
The usual nicknames for Ashley are Ash. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Ashley in the last five years, fewer than 1 were named Ash.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash · also for Asher, Ashton, Ashlyn | Modern | #6,572 | 78 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Ashleys go by each one.
Ashley popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 15,865 since 1880, 27 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #164 | 1,829 |
| 2020 | #153 | 1,808 |
| 2010 | #29 | 6,317 |
| 2000 | #4 | 18,000 |
| 1990 | #2 | 45,561 |
| 1980 | #40 | 7,296 |
| 1970 | #305 | 927 |
| 1960 | #1,488 | 55 |
| 1950 | #2,660 | 15 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Ashley, counting every spelling?
Ashley is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #163 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #164 for Ashley on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,052 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley | 1,829 | #164 | 9,818 |
| Ashly | 176 | #1,273 | 796 |
| Ashlee | 38 | #3,838 | 186 |
| Ashlie | 9 | #10,203 | 59 |
| Ashli | — | — | 31 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Ashley?
1,829 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Ashley (0.51 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Ashley born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 5 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Ashley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Ashley?
About 839,400 people born in the US named Ashley are alive today, with a median age of 35; half are between 28 and 40. That makes Ashley mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Ashley by state
How common Ashley was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.7×), Florida (2.5×), Maryland (2.3×), Nebraska (1.7×), Texas (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Michigan, South Dakota, Ohio.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Ashley: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Ashley, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Ashley · Sibling names for Ashley
Questions about the name Ashley
What does Ashley mean?
Ashley means “ash-tree clearing (place name)” (Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Ashley?
Ashley was the 164th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,829 babies. Its best year was 1991, when it ranked 1st; the most babies were born in 1987 (54,856). Over the last ten years it has moved down 78 places. More babies were named Ashley in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Ashley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Ashley in the US.
Where is Ashley most popular?
In 2021–2025, Ashley was most common in District of Columbia (3.29 per 1,000 girls), followed by Florida and Maryland.