Comments (Meaning / History Only)
Ashley is from Old English for "ash" and "meadow."
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Hi, I am Ashley, and I am a Man born in 1967. There were no women named of any note until I was near to 16-17 years old, when I discovered that they had named a woman, on "The young and the restless" soap opera Ashley. Much to my dismay, little girls, started running around being called by their mothers in shopping centres, with my name. I was stunned at first, but that explained why, whenever I told a girl my name, it was her favourite name... I should have seen the writing on the wall. Foreshadowing of every girl on the planet being named Ashley. If you go to wikapedia however, you will see many famous Male Ashleys around the world, and only a few Females born before 1983.
It gives a background, but not extensive. Ashley as a name, does however, go back into antiquity, and the Ash, a tree, has been associated with the Male, far back into Norse mythology, as the Ash tree is the symbol for men. No stopping it now in the world, as a woman's name however, that ship has sailed, and is now very popular.
Remember who Scarlet Ohara was in love with in "Gone with the Wind". Yes, it was Ashley Wilks, who married another, so she had to reluctantly turn to Rhett Butler. That's from the 1930's and one of the worlds most famous books and movies.
I used to have the most original name in the world... until the little girls started growing up, and entered the media world. Still, it is original, and Unique for a man, so that's just fine by me at 47. ;)
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It gives a background, but not extensive. Ashley as a name, does however, go back into antiquity, and the Ash, a tree, has been associated with the Male, far back into Norse mythology, as the Ash tree is the symbol for men. No stopping it now in the world, as a woman's name however, that ship has sailed, and is now very popular.
Remember who Scarlet Ohara was in love with in "Gone with the Wind". Yes, it was Ashley Wilks, who married another, so she had to reluctantly turn to Rhett Butler. That's from the 1930's and one of the worlds most famous books and movies.
I used to have the most original name in the world... until the little girls started growing up, and entered the media world. Still, it is original, and Unique for a man, so that's just fine by me at 47. ;)
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To the comment about Ashley and the significance of ash trees: The ash tree has a tremendous significance in Norse mythology. The Norse believe that Yggdrasil (portrayed by an Ash tree), connected all of the "9 worlds", and that the first man, Ask (which means ash in old Norse), was made out of an ash tree. It was also commonly believed in Europe that snakes were repelled by ash leaves. Ash trees have also have many medicinal herbs. So, in Europe, ash trees signified a source of healing, origin, and protection, meanings which could easily be passed onto the name.
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Ash Lady = Cinderella ?
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There is a myth going around on the Facebook that Ashley means "Daughter of Light" and that is simply not true.