Ashley
An English place name and surname, Old English æsc “ash tree” plus leah “clearing.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Gone with the Wind's Ashley Wilkes was a man; American parents flipped the name to girls in the 1980s, when it fought Jessica for the top spot.
Ashley appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1978 to 2015. It has been the single most popular name for American girls in 2 different years, first in 1991 and most recently in 1992. Its biggest year was 1987, when 54,856 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 2 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1991, at No. 1. In 2025 it ranked No. 164 for girls. All told, 875,722 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Ashlee (43,791), Ashleigh (31,944), Ashly (12,301), Ashlie (10,078), Ashely (6,597), Ashli (5,718) (total births since 1880)
Explore Ashley interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | No. 4594 |
| 1930s | 7 | No. 3450 |
| 1940s | 86 | No. 2828 |
| 1950s | 221 | No. 1762 |
| 1960s | 2,566 | No. 360 |
| 1970s | 21,053 | No. 67 |
| 1980s | 352,185 | No. 2 |
| 1990s | 301,820 | No. 1 |
| 2000s | 133,051 | No. 4 |
| 2010s | 37,237 | No. 29 |
| 2020s | 11,626 | No. 124 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.