Ashley on a boy?

I’m really starting to like the name [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] for a boy, while it feels very 90s on a girl to me. Of course, most people (especially ones who aren’t name nerds) would scream, “Sacrilege! That name is 100000000% feminine these days and there’s no way in hell a boy could possibly pull it off today! He’d be made fun of at school for having a girly name.”

Frankly, I disagree with the masses. Yes, a boy named [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] MIGHT get made fun of, just like how a boy named [name_m]Liam[/name_m] or [name_m]Samuel[/name_m] MIGHT get made fun of.

In current times the vast majority of babies named [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] are girls, and while the name isn’t as popular as it once was, it’s still fairly popular. However, I think that [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] could work on a modern baby boy if it was paired with a masculine middle name that couldn’t possibly be confused for a girl’s name. That way, he could go by his middle name if he loathed his first name.

Here are some combinations that I randomly thought of:

[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m]
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Atticus[/name_m]
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Drake[/name_m]
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_u]Jameson[/name_u] (or [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u])
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Karl[/name_m]
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Julius[/name_m]
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Roger[/name_m] ([name_m]Roger[/name_m] is another name I find myself warming up to)
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Jackson[/name_m]

What do you think, NB users? Could [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] work on a boy if paired with an obviously masculine middle name?

I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] on a boy also! My favorite of your pairings are [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u] or [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Jackson[/name_m]. On a girl, I loathe it on a girl. This girl in my school’s name is [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] and the whole school HATES her! She loves boys, she once did inappropriate things and she’s my age! But anyways off that topic, i think this will work well with a boy and it will be very refreshing to meet a boy [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] in the US even though it’s still a popular boy name in [name_f]England[/name_f].

[name_f]IMO[/name_f], I wouldn’t use it for a son as I don’t want to intentionally cause hassles for my child. It usually doesn’t work out even though feel you would be balancing his name if you gave him a masculine middle name, because our middle name isn’t commonly known or used except on forms, etc.

I think it would be totally fine. It’s not like [name_u]Ash[/name_u] names are unheard of on boys, and if girls can be called [name_u]James[/name_u] why can’t boys be called [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]? Plus [name_u]Ash[/name_u] is such a good nickname for a guy :slight_smile:

I think it’s fine, especially since the nn ‘[name_u]Ash[/name_u]’ is quite masculine (in my eyes, at least). My first association when I hear [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] is actually [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Cole[/name_m]!

In theory it would work, but in reality I’m not sure how it would work in the real world outside of nameberry. I once knew a boy named [name_f]Catlin[/name_f] and everyone assumed his name was [name_f]Caitlin[/name_f]. He had a lot of issues with getting official mail getting addresses as Ms. To even getting sent a female graduation robe for graduation. (they were different colors) I would just hate to see a person go through that.

I like [name_f]Ashely[/name_f] on a boy and love the nickname [name_u]Ash[/name_u]. I know boys with the names [name_u]Sandy[/name_u], [name_u]Madison[/name_u], [name_u]Whitney[/name_u], [name_u]Kelly[/name_u]… I have never heard them teased for it. With so many girls having unisex names these days, I really don’t think most people would bat an eye. He can always go by [name_u]Ash[/name_u] if he has an issue with it.

All kinds of YES. I would love to meet a little boy [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] in real life.

I like [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u] from your list.

[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_u]Dean[/name_u] sounds strong to me. [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] sounds good too.

I live in the UK so [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] is mostly male to me; I only know male Ashleys. I’ve known of girls called [name_f]Ashleigh[/name_f], but never [name_u]Ashley[/name_u].

I know a grown man, a soldier and a lawyer, named [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] who is one of the most masculine men I’ve met. I don’t think his name has held him back at all! Though, in all honesty, I wonder how much of a situation like the old country song “A Boy Named [name_f]Sue[/name_f]” he had growing up…regardless, he wears it well and it’s not a problem for him. I think giving a super masculine middle name as an option for him, or simply calling him [name_u]Ash[/name_u] would mitigate any of the worse potentialities for teasing. I say use it! It’s a good name!

I know two men named [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]. I very much prefer [name_m]Asher[/name_m] though.

My cousin has this name. In his 30’s and still gets comments on how it’s a girl’s name. He goes by [name_u]Ash[/name_u], but still, he cannot stand his name. Go with [name_m]Asher[/name_m] or [name_u]Ashton[/name_u].

I know an [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] who is in his early 40s. He wears it very well and he’s very masculine.

I actually know more male [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]'s of all ages than female [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]'s and thinking about it now I’m pretty sure the girls names are all spelt [name_f]Ashleigh[/name_f] or [name_f]Ashlea[/name_f]. Then again I’m from the UK and maybe it’s different over here?
I’d say go for it. From your combos my favourites are [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_u]James[/name_u] & [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m]. If you’re still unsure what about [name_m]Asher[/name_m]?

I think it largely depends on where you live. I’m in the deep south and we have a surprising number of male Ashleys. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though we also have oodles of female Ashleys, most people know it’s used for both sexes.

I have known several female Ashleys but only one male [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] and he is frequently called Miss Surname by mistake on the phone (e.g. nurses, receptionists etc). I doubt it matters whether or not [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]'s middle name is masculine since middle names tend to appear only in the most formal of documents/situations and even then it is not uncommon for people to look only at the first name and the last name and skip the middle name altogether. A lot if not most people think [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] is a female name. I think it is likely that male [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] was teased about having a girl’s name. Certainly, he frequently mentions that [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] was used for boys too even if the person he was talking to/everyone in the group already knows (because he has told them before). [name_m]Even[/name_m] his friends snigger when it comes it.

A boy named [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] is more likely to be made fun of because of his name than a [name_m]Liam[/name_m] or a [name_m]Samuel[/name_m].

I like [name_m]Frederick[/name_m], [name_u]James[/name_u] and [name_m]Karl[/name_m]. [name_m]Roger[/name_m] and [name_m]Julius[/name_m] are fine. I dislike [name_m]Atticus[/name_m], [name_m]Drake[/name_m], [name_u]Jameson[/name_u] and [name_m]Jackson[/name_m].

Yes please!!! From your list and signature, I really like [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Roger[/name_m], [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_u]Roy[/name_u], [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Karl[/name_m], and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_u]Corbin[/name_u].

@princessmadison: it isn’t okay to hate a girl for the choices (or mistakes or anything else) she makes. Women and girls have a hard enough time in the world as it is, we don’t have to make it any harder for each other. <3

I thought [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] was the feminine form of [name_m]Asher[/name_m] until I looked it up: “[name_u]Ashley[/name_u]: From an English surname which was originally derived from place names meaning “ash tree clearing”, from Old English æsc and leah. Until the 1960s it was more commonly given to boys in the United States, but it is now most often used on girls.”

Its NMS at all and I just think of about 40 [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]'s I knew in school (female), which could make it a “boy named [name_f]Sue[/name_f]” type situation.

I like [name_u]Ash[/name_u] or [name_m]Asher[/name_m] much better :slight_smile:

I have always loved [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] as a boys name since seeing the movie gone with the wind, I think it’s very handsome. I don’t think teasing will be as big a problem because the kids he will go to school with will pretty much be the same throughout the years (especially in elementary school) so they won’t even think anything of it, if they got to know him in kindergarten. I knew a male [name_u]Courtney[/name_u] and he was never traded because he had the same people around him all the way to high school. It may be that I’m just from a smaller town but I think it’s very usable. I also love [name_u]Courtney[/name_u] and [name_u]Madison[/name_u] in boys instead of girls as well. From your list I like [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Drake[/name_m] and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m].

Thank you @ruolan I’m glad to see someone said something. Slut shaming is a pet peeve of mine. I’m sure @princessmadison didn’t mean to be unkind. A good rule of thumb is : if it would make you angry to hear it said about (or have it done to) your best friend, then don’t say it about/to someone else.

I absolutely love this name and the nickname [name_u]Ash[/name_u]. Despite my love for the name I don’t think I could ever use it because of the 90s feminine connotations it continues to bring to my mind. Maybe I’m just not daring enough!