Ashley

Ashley is a boy/girl name meaning "ash tree clearing".

This name comes from the English surname Ashley, which was originally derived from place names meaning "ash tree clearing", from a combination of Old English æsc and leah. Until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys in the United States, but it is now most often used on girls. It reached its height of popularity in America in 1987, but it did not become the highest ranked name until 1991, being overshadowed by the likewise-popular Jessica until then. In the United Kingdom it is still more common as a masculine name. This name was used in the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell for the male character Ashley Wilkes.

Usage: english