Ashley

Also Dutch: https://nvb.meertens.knaw.nl/naam/is/Ashley

I know three Ashley’s and all their sisters are named Emily, it must be a popular sibset.

I’m a guy with this name and it hasn’t caused me any issues. I was born in 87. Very rarely have I gotten misgendered, if it does happen it’s instances where I’m getting mail from someone that doesn’t know me. It doesn’t bother me lol, not my problem. In person I present masculine so I wouldn’t be mistaken for a girl anyways. I get that the name is more common for girls in the USA, but on a guy it’s so unique. And it has a rich history especially in the south. I’ve gotten so many compliments for my name. People usually think it’s hot ;). I’ve never had a girl have an issue with it. I live in a southern state, most people are familiar with Gone with the Wind. Rather than avoid a name completely for your son that you like, why not give him the tools to handle other kids in school? That’s a parenting issue. If he knows how to respond to people he’ll be fine. It's all about confidence. And teaching people how to treat you. It’s the “Boy Named Sue thinking” that’s turned several unisex/ masculine names into “girl names”. It has a lot to do with sexism. We encourage girls to be more guy like but not the other way around. Not saying I never got picked on but it was never for my name. I absolutely love my name and wouldn’t change it, it fits me perfectly. For parents considering Ashley for your son, just do it (it’s nowhere as common as it used to be). I’m 34 now and I turned out fine.

Here in Upstate New York I know eight Ashleys. Two of them are female and six of them are male.

Also used in Germany, as female name.

Ashley being used as a mainly masculine name isn't exactly the case in every part of the UK. Data from Scotland since 1974 shows Ashley ranking within the girls' top 100 from 1977 through to 1999 with uncommon male usage.
Regarding Northern Ireland, based on data stretching to 1997, it hasn't ranked in the top 100 for both genders. However, it does see a bit of usage, though erring more towards females (between 72 to 78 male Ashleys were born from 1997-2018 compared to between 90 and 93 female Ashleys).

32 boys were named Ashley in the U.S. in 2017!

In 2018, 23 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Ashley who is registered female with the Social Security Administration. It is the 44th most common female first name for living U.S. citizens.

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In 2018, 30 is the most common age for an American (U.S.) Ashley who is registered male with the Social Security Administration. It is the 1, 714th most common male first name for living U.S. citizens.

It's also an Arabic name. I know a girl named Ashley who is from UAE. She was 100% Arab and both parents are Arabs.

This is my favorite name for a boy because it will always remind me of the honorable Ashley Wilkes. I could never imagine naming a girl Ashley, it would be revolting to me to give a girl such a masculine name.

The name Ashley was given to 26 boys born in the US in 2015.

I don't see how Ashley is a bad name. I am a male with the name Ashley and it is a typical boys name but I am in Australia and yes, girls have this name but we don't have many girls here that have the name Ashely spelt like that. It's usually Ashleigh there for it is a good name regardless of it being over used. The simple fact of the matter is this: we don't get to choose our names.

As you can see, in Australia Ashley is still accepted as a very masculine name, even though feminine usage has overtaken it.

I've met lots of Ashleys, and they were all male. I've never come across a female Ashley, so it sounds odd to me as a girl's name. (I'm in the UK)

People keep saying "this is more popular for girls", but I'd like to point out that in America, Canada and Australia it's more popular for girls, but in England (where the name originates from) it's still more popular for boys. Also, it's much better for a boy, and I'd say most English people think of it as a boy's name.

This was a guy's name and a surname.

Where I live (in the south of England) Ashley is primarily a boys name (I know at least 5 male Ashleys) and it is virtually unheard of for a girl to have this name!

I think it is interesting that this name comes from a surname, as I have rarely met or heard of any other people with Ashley for a last name. (It is my last name.) I wish I knew where the Ashleys came from.

I was always told that as with Leslie and other unisex names, it should be spelt with -ie for a girl and -ey for a boy.

While I know many people named Ashley and am friends with a few, I find this name to be very overused to the point where I'm not really that fond of it. In my year alone, there are 7 Ashleys. All spelled the same way, not that that really matters. This is out of approximately 200 kids. When you think of how many names there are out there, 7 is quite a bit. I know many of the Ashleys find this frustrating when someone calls their name in the hallway only to find it was for another Ashley. Personally, I think you should name your child Ashley after its popularity has dropped.

The name Ashley was not adopted as a female's name until much more recently. Originally it was a completely masculine name.