Ashley

Ashley originated as an English surname turned masculine name turned unisex name turned female name. That’s quite a journey! As the transferred use of a surname, Ashley comes from the Olde English elements “æsc” meaning “ash” and “leah” meaning “clearing, meadow”. It would have originally described a clearing among ash trees, and the surname would have been assigned to a person who hailed from such a topographical region. In Norse mythology, the first man created by the gods was formed from an ash tree. The Celts, impressed with its massive size, associated the ash tree with power, expansion and scale. Its girth, height, and deeply complex root system were all metaphors for the spiritually minded Celtic people. In both Norse/Viking and Celtic folklore, the ash tree was mainly a symbol of protectiveness. Like a gentle giant, the ash tree was also a guardian of children and a healing agent for childhood illnesses. As a given name, Ashley was first recorded in the 16th century; although, it was almost exclusively given to boys back then. In recent years however, the name has gotten in touch with her feminine side iand is now almost entirely restricted to baby girls. Aside from Ashley’s surname roots, the name may also share etymological beginnings borrowed from the Irish. The name “Ainslinn” (pronounced ash + ling) derives from the Gaelic word “aisling” meaning “dream, vision”. The type of dream is specific to a vision of a beautiful woman from the spirit world. Once dreamt, the dreamer can no longer be content again.