Find out how popular the first name Ashely has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Ashely by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Ashely is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 99% of people named Ashely being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 5 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Ashely.

The history of the first name Ashely

The name Ashely originates from the Old English language and is derived from the combination of two words: "æsc" meaning ash tree, and "leah" meaning meadow or clearing. It emerged as a surname in England during the Middle Ages, referring to someone who lived near an ash tree meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Ashely dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a surname spelled "Asselie" or "Asselegh." During the 13th century, the name was also spelled as "Assheleye" and "Assheley" in various historical records.

One of the earliest known individuals with the name Ashely was Robert de Assheleye, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199. Another notable figure was Sir John Ashley, who served as a knight and fought in the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 during the Hundred Years' War.

In the 16th century, the name Ashely gained prominence with the rise of the Ashley family, who were prominent landowners in Wiltshire, England. Sir Anthony Ashley (1551-1628) was a Member of Parliament and served as a high-ranking official under Queen Elizabeth I.

During the 17th century, the name Ashely was further popularized by Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury (1621-1683), a prominent philosopher and political figure who played a significant role in the establishment of constitutional monarchy in England.

Another famous bearer of the name was Maurice Ashley (1675-1736), an English writer and poet who is best known for his work "The Mimic: Or, A Satyr upon the Modern Courtier."

In the 18th century, the name Ashely gained wider recognition with the birth of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851), the acclaimed English novelist and author of the gothic novel "Frankenstein."

As the name transitioned from a surname to a given name, it gained popularity in various parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries. While initially more common as a male name, it became increasingly popular as a female name in the 20th century.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Ashely was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ashely, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!