Total births
859,857
Girls' name · since 1917
Ashley
Since 1917, U.S. Social Security records show 859,857 babies named Ashley, peaking in 1987. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #124
- among girls today
- 859,857
- born since 1917
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other girls
Ashley currently ranks #124 among girls' names in America, with 859,857 babies recorded since 1917.
Social Security Administration records show Ashley recorded 859,857 times among girls since 1917, holding rank #124 nationally today, ahead of 99.3% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #124 among girls today
- 859,857 born since 1917
- 1980s peak decade
- 99.3% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Ashley is currently the #124 girls' name in America, more common than 99.3% of girls - 859,857 born since 1917, peaking in the 1980s.
- #124
- among girls today
- 859,857
- born since 1917
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other girls
Ashley vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#124
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.3% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Ashley was born in this single decade.
1987
Single peak year
54,856 babies were named Ashley in 1987 - its busiest year on record.
How Ashley compares
859,857 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Ashley's all-time total is 2,251x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Ashley | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 859,857 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 54,856 | 48 | 19,840 |
Ashley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Ashley's full recorded timeline at 1982, 95% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 5% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1917, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1987 peak of 54,856 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Ashley at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1987
Current rank
#124
Active since
1917
Ashley popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1987)
- 54,856
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Ashley popularity over time - boys
15,865 total births recorded since 1880 (Ashley as boys' name)
Ashley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Ashley's strongest decade.
352,185 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Ashley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1930s 7
1930s
7 births
- 1940s 86
1940s
86 births
- 1950s 221
1950s
221 births
- 1960s 2,566
1960s
2,566 births
- 1970s 21,053
1970s
21,053 births
- 1980s
1980s
352,185 births
- 1990s
1990s
301,820 births
- 2000s 133,051
2000s
133,051 births
- 2010s 37,237
2010s
37,237 births
- 2020s 11,626
2020s
11,626 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 352,185 births (41% of all-time use).
How Ashley compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Ashley's total volume
Ashley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Ashley by state
Where Ashley concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 98,011 | 11.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 79,157 | 9.2% |
| #3 | New York | | 49,318 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Florida | | 46,736 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 36,905 | 4.3% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 35,259 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 33,776 | 3.9% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 28,823 | 3.4% |
California share of Ashley's total US births 11.4%
Even split
98,011 of 859,857 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Ashley appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Ashley? ▼
Since 1917, Social Security records show 859,857 babies named Ashley. Today it holds rank #124 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1987, with 54,856 births.
When was Ashley most popular? ▼
Ashley was most popular in the 1980s decade with 352,185 total births. The single peak year was 1987.
Where is Ashley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Ashley are California (98,011 births), Texas (79,157 births), New York (49,318 births).
How long has the name Ashley been used? ▼
Records for Ashley go back to 1917, giving 109 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Ashley? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Ashlyn, Ashlee, Ashleigh, Ashlynn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Ashley's data
- Ashley's decade-level peak was the 1980s (352,185 total births); usage has since declined to 11,626 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Ashleys (98,011 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Ashley
Nearby Names Like Ashley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Ashley
Ashlyn Girl
#902 48,039 births
Ashlee Girl
#4136 43,533 births
Ashleigh Girl
#4807 31,861 births
Ashlynn Girl
#1024 25,834 births
Ashton Girl
#1774 19,660 births
Compare Ashley side by side: Ashley vs Ashlyn Ashley vs Ashlee Ashley vs Ashleigh
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Ashley
Cecilia #123
111,511 births · Peak 2025
Rylee #125
69,010 births · Peak 2010
Melanie #122
262,640 births · Peak 1972
Samantha #126
592,847 births · Peak 1990
Amara #121
28,982 births · Peak 2025
Margot #127
25,568 births · Peak 2025
Eva #120
284,761 births · Peak 1918
Catalina #128
33,009 births · Peak 2025
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Ashley: #124 Girls' Name - 859,857 Births, Peak 1987." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/ashley. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Ashley draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.