Ashly

GirlAmerican (modern coinage), English· “ash tree clearing”

Meaning
ash tree clearing
Origin
American (modern coinage), English
Pronunciation
ASH-lee
Syllables
2
US rank 2025
#1,273
US babies 2025
176
Best rank
#437 (1986)
Peak year
1987

Meaning and origin of Ashly

Ashly is an American (modern coinage) and English name that means “ash tree clearing”.

Ashly is a variant spelling of Ashley, an English place name and surname from Old English words for ash tree and a woodland clearing. Ashley was originally a masculine name, and Ashley Wilkes in Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind is a well-known male bearer. In the later twentieth century, Ashley became one of the most popular girls' names in America, and spellings like Ashly followed. The name feels friendly, familiar and gently outdoorsy. Ash is a simple nickname.

Popularity over time

0150300450600197019801990200020102020Peak 1987: 507
US babies named Ashly per year, 1880 to 2025

Ashly first appears in US Social Security records in 1966. It has ranked in the top 1,000 in 28 different years, starting in 1982. Its best national rank was #437 in 1986, and the most babies received it in 1987, when 507 were named Ashly. In 2025, 176 babies were named Ashly, and it ranked #1,273 nationally. That is 54% more than ten years earlier, so it is clearly on the rise.

Its national rank moved from #1,339 in 1980, #947 in 2000, #1,101 in 2010, and #1,273 in 2025. Of the 12,179 US girls named Ashly since records began, 28% were born in the 1980s, its biggest decade. The 1990s come next, with 3,216 babies. Since 2010, 2,183 more have been named Ashly.

Other girls' names that peaked around the same time include Whitley, Keshia, Ashely, Jacklyn, and Krystina.

Where it is most popular (2025)

In 2025, Ashly ranked highest in Florida, Kentucky, and Texas.

StateRank thereBabies
Florida#57231
Kentucky#7605
Texas#84435
Colorado#9255
Tennessee#9946

Gender, sound and spelling

In the US it is used almost only for girls.

Ashly is usually pronounced ASH-lee, with two syllables. It has five letters, starts with A and ends in “-ly”.

Middle names for Ashly

A few middle names that flow with Ashly: each avoids a matching first letter, a rhyme and a vowel clash where the names meet.

Sophia Girl
soh-FEE-uh
“wisdom” · Greek
#5
Charlotte Girl
SHAHR-luht
“free man” · French
#2
Grace Girl
GRAYS
“grace” · English
#38
Claire Girl
KLAIR
“clear, bright” · French
#68
Savannah Girl
suh-VAN-uh
“treeless grassland” · English
#135
Violet Girl
VY-uh-liht
“violet flower” · English
#13

Sibling names for Ashly

Similar names

Holly Girl
HAH-lee
“the holly tree” · English
#416
Carly Girl
KAHR-lee
“free man” · English
#1,009
Ally Girl
A-lee
“pet form of Alison or Alexandra” · English
#2,118
Nelly Girl
NEH-lee
“pet form of Eleanor, Helen or Ellen” · English
#1,294
Polly Girl
PAH-lee
“pet form of Mary via Molly” · English
#2,318
Molly Girl
MAH-lee
“diminutive of Mary” · English
#196
Baylee Girl
BAY-lee
“bailiff; modern spelling of Bailey” · English
#1,008
Bailee Girl
BAY-lee
“bailiff” · American (modern coinage)
#1,069
Heather Girl
HEH-thur
“heather plant” · English
#1,264
Sally Girl
SA-lee
“princess” · English
#1,158
Oakleigh Girl
OHK-lee
“oak clearing” · American (modern coinage)
#668
Unique Girl
yoo-NEEK
“unique, one of a kind” · American (modern coinage)
#2,456

Lists that include Ashly

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Ashly mean?

Ashly is an American (modern coinage) and English name that means “ash tree clearing”.

What is the origin of the name Ashly?

Ashly has modern American and English roots. Ashly is a variant spelling of Ashley, an English place name and surname from Old English words for ash tree and a woodland clearing.

Is Ashly a popular name?

Not especially. Ashly ranked #1,273 in the US in 2025, which puts it outside the top 1,000.

Is Ashly a boy or girl name?

Ashly is mainly a girl's name. In the US it is used almost only for girls.

How do you pronounce Ashly?

Ashly is usually pronounced ASH-lee. Stressed syllables are in capital letters.

Popularity figures come from US Social Security card applications (names given to at least five babies in a year, 1880 to 2025). How we source names and meanings