Ashley Girl

Popularity: #158 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: ASH-lee /ˈæʃli/

Origin: English; Old English

Meaning: Ash tree meadow; dweller near the ash tree

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Ashley has its roots in Old English, derived from the elements "æsc," meaning "ash tree," and "lēah," meaning "clearing" or "meadow." Thus, the literal meaning of Ashley can be interpreted as "ash tree meadow" or "clearing where ash trees grow." The name first appeared in England as a surname before transitioning into a given name. Its earliest recorded use as a personal name can be traced back to the 12th century, although it was not widely adopted until the 19th century.

Historically, the name gained prominence through various notable figures and literary works. One significant milestone was its use in the 19th century by the author Jane Austen in her novel "Emma," published in 1815, where the character Ashley Wilkes became a memorable figure in American literature.

Additionally, the name was associated with the Ashley family in England, who were prominent landowners and contributed to the name's recognition. The name's usage was further solidified in the 20th century, particularly in the context of American culture.

Culturally, Ashley has been associated with nature due to its etymological roots, symbolizing strength and resilience, much like the ash tree itself. The name has also been linked to various traditions and has been embraced in different cultures, often reflecting a connection to the natural world.

A diminutive form, Ash, has emerged as a more casual or affectionate variant, although it is less commonly used as a formal name. Overall, Ashley's historical and cultural significance is marked by its evolution from a geographical descriptor to a widely recognized personal name.

Famous people named Ashley

In this section, you will find notable people named Ashley. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Ashley who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Ashley who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Ashley Judd is an actress and political activist best known for Double Jeopardy, Heat, and Divergent.

Ashley Olsen is an actress and fashion designer best known for Full House, The Row, and Mary-Kate and Ashley's Adventures.

Ashley Greene is an actress best known for the Twilight series, A Warrior's Heart, and The Apparition.

Ashley Tisdale is an actress and singer best known for High School Musical, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, and Phineas and Ferb.

Ashley Benson is an actress best known for Pretty Little Liars, Spring Breakers, and Pixels.

Ashley Scott is an actress and model best known for Birds of Prey, Jericho, and The 4400.

Ashley Eckstein is an actress and entrepreneur best known for her role as Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and founder of Her Universe.

Fictional characters named Ashley

The following list of fictional characters named Ashley is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Ashley Williams is a fictional character from the video game series Evil Dead. He is a chainsaw-wielding hero who battles the forces of evil and the undead.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Ashley, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

MadisonBriannaTaylorJordanSamanthaKaitlyn

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Ashley. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

AveryHaileyEmilyMackenzieKelseySydneyChloeNatalie

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Ashley was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Ashley has ranked as high as #3 nationally, which occurred in 1987, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Ashley has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Ashley is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Ashley was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Ashley.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,856 27 1,829
2024 2,268 28 2,240
2023 2,213 29 2,184
2022 1,894 29 1,865
2021 1,731 31 1,700
2020 1,837 29 1,808
2019 2,055 24 2,031
2018 2,314 34 2,280
2017 2,560 32 2,528
2016 3,079 34 3,045
2015 3,455 26 3,429
2014 3,600 40 3,560
2013 3,981 38 3,943
2012 4,718 17 4,701
2011 5,440 37 5,403
2010 6,348 31 6,317
2009 7,852 37 7,815
2008 9,461 53 9,408
2007 11,483 55 11,428
2006 12,412 59 12,353
2005 13,345 69 13,276
2004 14,465 88 14,377
2003 14,597 78 14,519
2002 15,404 60 15,344
2001 16,605 74 16,531
2000 18,082 82 18,000
1999 18,213 77 18,136
1998 19,953 78 19,875
1997 20,992 95 20,897
1996 23,786 108 23,678
1995 26,718 112 26,606
1994 30,413 132 30,281
1993 34,984 135 34,849
1992 38,628 168 38,460
1991 43,657 180 43,477
1990 45,800 239 45,561
1989 47,964 376 47,588
1988 50,280 303 49,977
1987 55,265 409 54,856
1986 50,091 420 49,671
1985 47,511 501 47,010
1984 39,314 541 38,773
1983 33,884 595 33,289
1982 15,500 649 14,851
1981 9,548 674 8,874
1980 8,042 746 7,296
1979 5,034 586 4,448
1978 4,015 533 3,482
1977 3,289 582 2,707
1976 2,762 475 2,287
1975 2,407 418 1,989
1974 2,034 409 1,625
1973 1,676 426 1,250
1972 1,449 273 1,176
1971 1,426 264 1,162
1970 1,180 253 927
1969 835 194 641
1968 711 169 542
1967 522 137 385
1966 373 111 262
1965 337 121 216
1964 291 110 181
1963 236 128 108
1962 210 115 95
1961 206 125 81
1960 144 89 55
1959 117 80 37
1958 113 75 38
1957 92 65 27
1956 87 64 23
1955 89 81 8
1954 94 73 21
1953 69 55 14
1952 82 59 23
1951 65 50 15
1950 72 57 15
1949 66 55 11
1948 79 66 13
1947 78 67 11
1946 78 71 7
1945 67 57 10
1944 65 55 10
1943 68 58 10
1942 79 71 8
1941 60 54 6
1940 49 49 0
1939 27 27 0
1938 32 25 7
1937 31 31 0
1936 36 36 0
1935 34 34 0
1934 32 32 0
1933 22 22 0
1932 30 30 0
1931 35 35 0
1930 26 26 0
1929 39 39 0
1928 37 37 0
1927 50 50 0
1926 45 45 0
1925 57 57 0
1924 46 46 0
1923 47 47 0
1922 53 53 0
1921 47 47 0
1920 43 43 0
1919 59 59 0
1918 42 42 0
1917 50 45 5
1916 48 48 0
1915 47 47 0
1914 42 42 0
1913 31 31 0
1912 23 23 0
1911 16 16 0
1910 7 7 0
1909 10 10 0
1908 9 9 0
1907 7 7 0
1906 13 13 0
1905 10 10 0
1904 11 11 0
1903 7 7 0
1902 14 14 0
1901 10 10 0
1900 5 5 0
1899 7 7 0
1898 5 5 0
1897 17 17 0
1896 10 10 0
1895 10 10 0
1894 17 17 0
1893 10 10 0
1892 12 12 0
1891 8 8 0
1890 12 12 0
1888 7 7 0
1887 10 10 0
1886 14 14 0
1885 13 13 0
1884 6 6 0
1883 9 9 0
1882 7 7 0
1881 6 6 0
1880 8 8 0

Top States for Ashley (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 398
18%
FL 275
12%
CA 217
10%
NY 150
7%
GA 94
4%
NJ 82
4%
NC 79
4%
VA 67
3%
TN 65
3%
MD 57
3%
IL 55
2%
MA 53
2%
AZ 53
2%
CO 43
2%
PA 40
2%
WA 39
2%
OH 34
2%
IN 33
1%
LA 31
1%
SC 30
1%
NV 28
1%
UT 26
1%
MI 25
1%
AL 25
1%
KY 24
1%
MN 21
1%
WI 21
1%
MO 20
1%
OK 16
1%
NE 16
1%
CT 14
1%
KS 13
1%
AR 12
1%
IA 12
1%
OR 10
0%
MS 9
0%
DC 9
0%
ID 6
0%
DE 6
0%
RI 5
0%