Ashley vs Dale
Ashley and Dalecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1991, Ashley was ranked #79 and Dale #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2009, Ashley was ranked #390 and Dale #200 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2001, Ashley was ranked #298 and Dale #3998 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2016, Ashley was ranked #713 and Dale #713 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Ashley was ranked #716 and Dale #2952 among boys in England and Wales.
Ashley and Dale over time
Ashley and Dale appear together in 4 published lists, across 83 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Ashley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Dale in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1998, Dale moved ahead of Ashley in Northern Ireland · Boys — #139 and #143 the year before became #182 and #111.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ashley and Dale changed places 7 times in Republic of Ireland · Boys between 1974 and 2016, ending at #713 and #713.
- Longest-running competitions
Ashley and Dale were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #716 and #2952.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Ashley #40 in 1996, Dale #117 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Ashley held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Dale in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #40 in 1996, Dale #117 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ashley #716, Dale #2952.
Republic of Ireland · Boys26 shared years, 1974–2016
Ashley held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Dale in 16.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #161 in 1975, Dale #89 in 1994.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2016: Ashley #713, Dale #713.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys16 shared years, 1972–1991
Ashley held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Dale in 1.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #56 in 1985, Dale #75 in 1988.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1991: Ashley #79, Dale #100.
Northern Ireland · Boys11 shared years, 1997–2009
Ashley held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Dale in 8.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #139 in 1997, Dale #111 in 1998.
The order changed in 1998: Dale moved ahead. In 1997 they stood at #139 and #143; by 1998 that had become #182 and #111.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Ashley #390, Dale #200.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ashley | Dale |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | England and Wales · Boys #2952 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ashley and Dale both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Ashley
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #372 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1985–2011
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1987 (recorded 1985–2011).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1271 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Dale
Popularity journey
First recorded1957
First recorded at #100 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1957–1991
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 1988 (recorded 1957–1991).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2952 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys