Ashley is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Ashley means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Ashley across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Ashley has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Ashley is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “ash tree meadow”. originally a surname and place name.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 875,722 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 15,075 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6,020 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 154 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,239 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 3,338 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Ashley per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1987 (55,265/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (2,161/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1987 (558/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1987 (50/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (30/yr).
Ashley has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1987, when it ranked #3 nationally (given to 55,873 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Ashlee · Ashleigh · Ashlie · Ashly · Ashely · Ashli · Ashlea · Ashlei
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