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Help[Opinions] Ashley
What do you think of Ashley?
On a girl?
On a boy?
Do you prefer Ashley or Aisling for a girl (ASH-lyen)?
If Ashley had never been popular, what would your opinion of it be? Would you still make the same choice as above?
In my opinion, Ashley is one of the softest and prettiest names out there (I like it for both genders). But because of its popularity and alternate spellings such as Ashleigh, Ashlee, Ashli, Ashlie I feel like its lost a lot of its charme and I probably wouldn't use it.
On a girl?
On a boy?
Do you prefer Ashley or Aisling for a girl (ASH-lyen)?
If Ashley had never been popular, what would your opinion of it be? Would you still make the same choice as above?
In my opinion, Ashley is one of the softest and prettiest names out there (I like it for both genders). But because of its popularity and alternate spellings such as Ashleigh, Ashlee, Ashli, Ashlie I feel like its lost a lot of its charme and I probably wouldn't use it.
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Replies
I've met a lot of Ashleys over the years (all sorts of variants) and it's always been a name that I've liked but never loved.
Here in the UK Ashley seems to be used more on girls (though on girls it's more often than not spelled Ashleigh) than boys, but it's still quite common on boys. My boyfriend's name is Ashley for example (he prefers Ash though) and I think it suits him amazingly well, but he's always mistaken for being a woman in emails and letters and such. People get shocked when they see a 6'3" athletic guy with a beard rock up when they were probably expecting a woman, or sometimes if we order takeaway in his name and I answer the door they think I'm Ashley.
Regardless, I like the name, and I think it works equally well on boys and girls.
Aisling is also pretty, but I worry that some people might struggle with the pronunciation.
Here in the UK Ashley seems to be used more on girls (though on girls it's more often than not spelled Ashleigh) than boys, but it's still quite common on boys. My boyfriend's name is Ashley for example (he prefers Ash though) and I think it suits him amazingly well, but he's always mistaken for being a woman in emails and letters and such. People get shocked when they see a 6'3" athletic guy with a beard rock up when they were probably expecting a woman, or sometimes if we order takeaway in his name and I answer the door they think I'm Ashley.
Regardless, I like the name, and I think it works equally well on boys and girls.
Aisling is also pretty, but I worry that some people might struggle with the pronunciation.
This message was edited 6/14/2020, 4:19 PM
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This name is so boring to me. I don’t love it or hate it. I can’t really picture it on a boy since I knew so many girls with the name.
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I think it's fine, though it doesn't particularly appeal to me. It's such a common name in my generation (her sister is named Jessica), so it's familiar to the point of not really being "good" or "bad" for me. The alternate spellings turn me off a bit. I feel like it was the first -ley name that people went wild with the spelling for. It has a little more appeal to me as a male name because it's simply more interesting.
Aisling is neat though I think most Americans would not known how to pronounce it.
If it had never been popular, it might have a little more charm to me, but in general I'm not hugely into -ley names, so I still don't think I would love it. I like the Ash part, though.
Aisling is neat though I think most Americans would not known how to pronounce it.
If it had never been popular, it might have a little more charm to me, but in general I'm not hugely into -ley names, so I still don't think I would love it. I like the Ash part, though.
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I went to school with a girl named Ashley (who was in fact blonde and preppy and popular, but also nice to the shy girl), and I've always liked it better on a girl. I love the name, but would hesitate to use it because of how popular it was. I like Aisling, but I'd probably pronounce it wrong, and I wouldn't want to fight for the spelling with all her American teachers.
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It's overused on girls, but I prefer it on a boy. It's always been a more masculine name to me. Ashleigh makes it seem feminine, though I am not particularly fond of alternative spellings.
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I actually quite like it! It has a very smooth and refined sound, I enjoy the "shl" part. It used to be one of my very favourite names when I was a young Slavic child blissfully unaware of its popularity overseas. I prefer it on a boy, but I like Aisling for a girl.
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It’s mostly used on boys where I am. Or it was - it’s quite dated to the 80s and early 90s. I went to school with several boys named Ashley.
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I like it better on a boy but feels completely feminine by now. It also feels like it will become very dated, it’s very preppy blonde girl from the 80s/90s to me.
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Pretty? Sure!
Overused? Definitely
I prefer Aisling.
I went to school with two male Ashley’s. I still feel like it is more a girl’s name,
Overused? Definitely
I prefer Aisling.
I went to school with two male Ashley’s. I still feel like it is more a girl’s name,
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I prefer it as a ln. As a fn, the first Ashley I knew was male, so I prefer that. I dislike the sound and especially the look of Aisling.
I taught a Chinese girl once whose Chinese name I forget; before she left Taiwan her English teacher there had given her Susannah as her English name, but she'd never liked it. Someone - not me - suggested Ashley and she liked it but was hesitant about the presence of ash! So I told her about ash trees and the meaning of -ley, and she cheered up and became a serene and confident Ashley for ever after. Which was fine by me.
I taught a Chinese girl once whose Chinese name I forget; before she left Taiwan her English teacher there had given her Susannah as her English name, but she'd never liked it. Someone - not me - suggested Ashley and she liked it but was hesitant about the presence of ash! So I told her about ash trees and the meaning of -ley, and she cheered up and became a serene and confident Ashley for ever after. Which was fine by me.
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What a lovely story!
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I love it on a boy and on a girl. It's one of the few unisex names I like. I wouldn't use it because it's my cousin's name.
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I get really, irrationally angry when people want to use my name for a boy.
(Yes, irrationally)
I know people USED to use it for a boy. It’s not a boys name any more.
I also get irrationally irritated when people talk about how horrible it is and how ugly and etc. (I know, we don’t always like the same names and I feel the same way about other names.)
But that’s my two cents. :)
It’s not the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard, but it’s not that bad. I’d much rather be an Ashley than a lot of other names, including some of the “vintage “ beauties out there.
(Yes, irrationally)
I know people USED to use it for a boy. It’s not a boys name any more.
I also get irrationally irritated when people talk about how horrible it is and how ugly and etc. (I know, we don’t always like the same names and I feel the same way about other names.)
But that’s my two cents. :)
It’s not the most beautiful name I’ve ever heard, but it’s not that bad. I’d much rather be an Ashley than a lot of other names, including some of the “vintage “ beauties out there.
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I've known a handful of male Ashleys, so I don't think you can say it USED to be a boys name. Because of its popularity for girls, I think it's safe to say that most people consider it a girls name, but that doesn't mean one could not use it for a boy of that someone should not like it on a boy.
I certainly don't think Ashley is a horrible or ugly name. I think some people who are into names automatically scoff at names that are/were wildly popular, so on this site some of it may come from that. Some people may truly think it's ugly though; I'm pretty sure there is someone out there who thinks every name is ugly. Tastes vary, but remember that someone saying your name is ugly is an opinion, not a fact.
I certainly don't think Ashley is a horrible or ugly name. I think some people who are into names automatically scoff at names that are/were wildly popular, so on this site some of it may come from that. Some people may truly think it's ugly though; I'm pretty sure there is someone out there who thinks every name is ugly. Tastes vary, but remember that someone saying your name is ugly is an opinion, not a fact.
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Oh that's funny, bless your heart! What an unfortunate pair of triggers. It's a unisex name, and it was also really popular for a long time, so it's the type of trigger that's bound to be tripped a lot.
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My name has been called childish, gross, hideous, and hated on here. And then I see the fawning over some names that are hard to believe are liked so much. So there’s that.
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Your name is Ashley? Well, my son's partner who is the mother of my granddaughters is named Ashley and she's a lovely person.
Yeah, I get pissed when I see my name ragged on too. As much as I try not to, because I rag on names. I think it's just human nature. AND I know how you feel about some people here liking some vintage monstrosities and then you have to see them hate on your name.
Yeah, I get pissed when I see my name ragged on too. As much as I try not to, because I rag on names. I think it's just human nature. AND I know how you feel about some people here liking some vintage monstrosities and then you have to see them hate on your name.
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Haha, yeah, even though I know it’s completely irrational and stupid, it does make me irritated.
I can’t stand it when people rag on my kids names either.
“Ugliest name ever” or “it’s the grossest name, my most hated name!” But you like Lester? Lester the Molester. Now that’s gross.
But, oh well. That’s what the board is for! Ha!
I can’t stand it when people rag on my kids names either.
“Ugliest name ever” or “it’s the grossest name, my most hated name!” But you like Lester? Lester the Molester. Now that’s gross.
But, oh well. That’s what the board is for! Ha!
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I prefer it for a boy
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On a girl: I get why people like the sound, and I'd probably like it if I'd never heard of it before, but as it is it's terribly overused, it's just a generic American white girl name. It does sound friendlier than some other names in that category though.
On a boy: I also see the appeal, it seems old-fashioned and soft. But I'd prefer just Ash. Or maybe something like Ashwin.
I'd prefer Aisling but I'm American and I probably say it wrong :P And I prefer Asha to both of them.
If it was never popular I'd like Ashley, I'd think it was soft and whimsical.
ETA: Apparently Ashwin is a real Indian name. I was just thinking Ash (the tree) + win (Germanic element meaning 'friend').
ETA again: Ashby is another option for a boy that feels more masculine than Ashley (a boy would have to be rather 'girly' or at least soft and graceful to pull off the name Ashley, but Ashby is more versatile. Depends on how you feel about random surnames as first names.)
And I've never really liked Asher. It seems like I should like it but I don't like the "er" ending in that name.
On a boy: I also see the appeal, it seems old-fashioned and soft. But I'd prefer just Ash. Or maybe something like Ashwin.
I'd prefer Aisling but I'm American and I probably say it wrong :P And I prefer Asha to both of them.
If it was never popular I'd like Ashley, I'd think it was soft and whimsical.
ETA: Apparently Ashwin is a real Indian name. I was just thinking Ash (the tree) + win (Germanic element meaning 'friend').
ETA again: Ashby is another option for a boy that feels more masculine than Ashley (a boy would have to be rather 'girly' or at least soft and graceful to pull off the name Ashley, but Ashby is more versatile. Depends on how you feel about random surnames as first names.)
And I've never really liked Asher. It seems like I should like it but I don't like the "er" ending in that name.
This message was edited 6/13/2020, 8:41 PM
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It's a name that I never thought of before it gained massive popularity, so I can't divorce it from that. I'm just really really tired of it and I don't know what I'd think if I thought about it at some time in the past when it wasn't and never had been popular.
Okay, I kind of know. In 1975, when I was fifteen, I used to babysit a little girl named Ashley, who was then four, so born in 1971. That was when the name was rising but wasn't really popular yet. The baby sister was named Whitney. I just thought, "Oh Mrs. B. likes to give her daughters masculine names that sound kind of feminine." The name didn't make much of an impression on me at that time. So it's still true that I didn't really try to evaluate it until I was aware of its popularity.
I dunno, something about it has always bugged me, but I can't put my finger on what it is.
Okay, I kind of know. In 1975, when I was fifteen, I used to babysit a little girl named Ashley, who was then four, so born in 1971. That was when the name was rising but wasn't really popular yet. The baby sister was named Whitney. I just thought, "Oh Mrs. B. likes to give her daughters masculine names that sound kind of feminine." The name didn't make much of an impression on me at that time. So it's still true that I didn't really try to evaluate it until I was aware of its popularity.
I dunno, something about it has always bugged me, but I can't put my finger on what it is.
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(m)
Well, now that I think about, I might have liked Ashley a bit if it wasn’t so popular during the 90’s. I can see the softness of it, but it just feels kinda trendy (not tryndee) in my eyes.
Well, now that I think about, I might have liked Ashley a bit if it wasn’t so popular during the 90’s. I can see the softness of it, but it just feels kinda trendy (not tryndee) in my eyes.
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double post
This message was edited 6/13/2020, 6:18 PM
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I like Ashley. It sounds sweet, youthful, down-to-earth.
To me it sounds very feminine because of its popularity for girls in the 90s. I can still see it on a boy, but I prefer it on a girl. I think I would like it equally on either gender if it was never so popular.
To me it sounds very feminine because of its popularity for girls in the 90s. I can still see it on a boy, but I prefer it on a girl. I think I would like it equally on either gender if it was never so popular.
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