Ashley

Ashley meaning

Ashley is a Christian and international unisex name of Old English origin, used for both girls and boys.

Ash-tree meadow; from æsc 'ash tree' and leah 'meadow'

Also used to mean: ash tree meadow

Ashley began as an English place-name meaning 'ash-tree meadow' or 'clearing among ash trees', from Old English æsc, 'ash tree', and leah, 'a lea, meadow or open space'. It became a surname, and then, after about 1860, a first name, probably in honour of the social reformer Lord Ashley, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. In India it is used by Christian families, especially in Kerala and Mangalore, for both boys and girls; girls are often spelt Ashly.

Source: Bosworth-Toller, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898), entries 834 (æsc) and 21257 (leáh) · entry æsc; leáh · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Bosworth-Toller, æsc · Bosworth-Toller, leáh · Wikipedia, Ashley (given name)

Popularity abroad

• #164 United States, girls 2025 (down 40 from 124 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #716 England and Wales, boys 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Ashley · Ashly · Ashlee · Ashleigh

Related names

Also meaning nature

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