Is this name gone to the girls forever? It’s too early for me to be talking names for the next baby (especially since I’m fairly certain I don’t want another,) but do you think [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] works as a brother for [name_m]Colin[/name_m]? Or will he be confused for a girl? What names similar to [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] would you recommend?
It’s a handsome name with a rich history. I hate that there are so many girls with the name.
I think it is a lovely underrated name. I think that he would be confused for a girl. However, I do not necessarily think there is anything wrong with that. Some people feel very strongly about the sex of their baby being obvious by name. I absolutely think the majority of people will assume female. The question for me is about your comfort level with that.
To me, it is forever a girls name.
[name_u]Ashton[/name_u] or [name_m]Asher[/name_m] would be a good replacement, [name_f]IMO[/name_f].
It is definitely primarily a girls name at this point and he will probably often be mistaken for a girl on paper, but I think because of the nickname [name_u]Ash[/name_u] it’s still usable. Like the previous poster said, it comes down to whether or not you’re comfortable with him being mistaken for a girl on paper. I’d definitely pair it with a more masculine middle name.
I think as [name_m]Asher[/name_m] rises and -ley names continue to trend for both sexes, [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] will begin to feel more and more usable for a boy. It’s worth noting that [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] is on the decline for girls. [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] also remains a solid choice for a boy in the UK. [name_m]Colin[/name_m] and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] actually feel very British for brothers.
I think it’s a GREAT name for a boy and a solid choice too. [name_m]Will[/name_m] there be times he will be thought of as a girl? Sure. But this is happening with every gender and many many many names these days, so many GNOB’s, etc. hardly anyone can ever tell regardless. And [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] is a solid male name, so I think you are good!
Um . . . I think of [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] from Gone With the Wind, who has to be the biggest pansy ever, so I cannot like it. I do, however, love the trend of boy names that went girl and are now going back boy. My favorite is [name_u]Kim[/name_u] because the [name_u]Kim[/name_u] in [name_m]Rudyard[/name_m] [name_m]Kipling[/name_m]'s book is anything but a pansy. (I really like the name [name_m]Kimball[/name_m] for a boy but when I tossed it around with my last boy pretty much everyone assumed girl. I couldn’t handle that so we went with a different name.)
I think fewer people would raise eyebrows at a male Ashley now than they might’ve ten years ago - so if you’re going to go that route, now’s an opportune time. However, you will never get around its usage as a girls’ name. To me, Ashley is all stereotypical 80’s/90’s female name and inextricably linked with the Olson twins; I honestly cannot tell you how many girls I went to school with who answered to it. I would therefore automatically assume girl at first glance, as will most people you and your son meet on a daily basis.
While it’s not completely unworkable, I personally think your son is going to encounter quite a few hiccups with pediatricians, teachers, colleges, prospective employers, etc. assuming he’s a girl. True, it’s on the decline for girls when compared with the years it was at its peak, but even last year, there were 3,539 girls given the name in the U.S. versus just 40 boys. It’s at # 87 for girls, which is still reasonably high. As others have said, it really comes down to if you feel okay dealing with those things. It’s not that it couldn’t work - but do you want to put forth the extra effort, and do you think it’s worth it for your son when there are less problematic options like Asher. I’d never do it for those reasons, but it’s all up to you ultimately.
Fifteen years ago I’d say don’t saddle a boy with that, but 30 years ago I would have said don’t put it on a girl. I think now it can go either way, gender lines in the naming world are becoming obsolete and as people become more aware of it I think most people now know [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]'s history as a boy’s name.
I’d be thrilled to meet little boys named [name_m]Colin[/name_m] and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u].
[name_u]Ashley[/name_u] is my all time favorite boy’s name. It was over used on girls in the 80s and 90s, but when is the last time you met a newborn [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] of either gender? I think as more time passes, it becomes more and more usable for boys again.
If you are worried about it being too associated with women, you could try a name like [name_m]Asher[/name_m].
You see this is another example of the ‘gender free’ hypocrisy.
If people criticize the ‘boy names on girls’ trend, sometimes they’re told to get with the times, and that gendered names should be a thing of the past.
However when someone dares to be so bold as to consider using (or actual uses) a name that is seen as female - at least here in [name_u]North[/name_u] [name_u]America[/name_u]- on a boy, there are cries of “you can’t do it”, often coming from the some of the same people who think it’s OK to use male names on girls! To clarify, not referring to anyone on here, I’m basing this comment on people (and one in particular) who I know [name_m]IRL[/name_m].
Anyway I love [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] on a boy, on a girl it’s dated and tired, on a boy I think it would be fresh. And while I’m not a fan of [name_m]Colin[/name_m], I think [name_m]Colin[/name_m] and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] make a lovely brother set.
I think it would make a really classy middle for a male these days. I don’t think it’s ready for a first-name comeback, unless he’s a really cool and confident kid with lots of great friends.
Thanks for the input everyone! I don’t mind at all if he’s cofused for a girl or if people think it shouldn’t be used on a boy because it’s too “girly,” but I’m not the one being saddled with it either. I guess you can never predict how a child will feel about their own name, however. As you guys can see, my tastes venture into the unusual, so [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] on a boy is quite tame for me. It doesn’t really matter though, because with my SO, I’ll never be able to use any of the names I really love (and I’m surprised he let me get away with [name_u]Amory[/name_u] in the middle spot.) I don’t like [name_m]Asher[/name_m] at all. Much too trendy for me. I know a couple of newborn [name_m]Asher[/name_m]'s already.
I love [name_u]Ashley[/name_u], and always will because of Gone With The Wind. I can totally see this on a today’s boy. When girls have [name_u]James[/name_u], let boys have [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] and [name_u]Shannon[/name_u] back.
I second [name_m]Asher[/name_m] or [name_u]Ashton[/name_u].
However, may I just say that I would love to see a boy [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] around.
Colin & Ashley sound great together; very European. Ashley is one of my favorite boy names so I’m all for it being used more. The youngest girl Ashley I know is about to turn 30. People aren’t using it for girls as much since it was so overdone in the 80s & 90s.
For alternatives, there’s Ash/Ashe, Ashby and Ashwan/Ashwin
I’ve come across about three men called [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] at work and via Facebook over the last few weeks. I’ve noticed more because I’ve been thinking about gender neutral names a lot but certainly more than I’ve come across say, [name_m]Martin[/name_m] or [name_m]Henry[/name_m]. Of course, I’m the the UK where the name has always been more popular for boys than for girls and still is now even though it’s a lot less popular for both genders now.
I do think it would be a problem. If you like the [name_u]Ash[/name_u]- beginning, I recommend [name_m]Asher[/name_m] or [name_u]Ashton[/name_u]. If you like the -ley ending, I recommend [name_m]Wesley[/name_m] or [name_u]Bradley[/name_u]. [name_m]Even[/name_m] [name_u]Ainsley[/name_u] could work for a boy. I just think that after being so popular for so long, it would be very strange to see it being put on a boy again.
I seldom agree with @misslis, but she said it exactly right! I love [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] for a boy, and am sad it’s so popular for a girl (and that it’s my name!). It’s my uncle’s MN, and his brother’s FN ([name_u]Ashley[/name_u] Bru.ce, which I find so handsome and Scottish-feeling!), and I think it’s such a great boys’ name! My uncle’s brother goes by [name_u]Lee[/name_u], which is okay, I guess, but I love [name_u]Ash[/name_u] for a boy, so if I had a boy [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] I’d call him [name_u]Ash[/name_u]. 
I think [name_m]Colin[/name_m] and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] are great. If not [name_u]Ashley[/name_u], I think [name_u]Hadley[/name_u]'s a great alternative, and has a slightly more balanced out girl-to-boy ratio.
I think [name_u]Ashley[/name_u]'s especially great with a dapper southern name (like [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Montgomery[/name_m]!) or a Scottish/Gaelic name ([name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Graeme[/name_m]! [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Seamus[/name_m]! [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Fergus[/name_m]!) or a classic name ([name_u]Ashley[/name_u] [name_m]Philip[/name_m]!) to give it a Southern/Scottish/English flair. I think [name_m]Colin[/name_m] and [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] would be great together. I just wish [name_u]Ashley[/name_u] was more socially acceptable for a boy!