Baby name
Ashley
/ASH · lee/
Meaning
“Ash tree meadow”
Old English from ash tree and meadow; originally a masculine surname, feminized in 20th century
How it ages.
Ashley exploded as a feminine choice in the US from 1980s onward, peaked around 2000, and has declined sharply since.
The cultural moment.
US shows dramatic peak-and-fall pattern 1990-2010; UK and Australia follow with similar downward trajectory after 2010.