Ashley vs Lesley
Ashley and Lesleycompared 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 1982, Ashley was ranked #188 and Lesley #330 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2002, Ashley was ranked #208 and Lesley #512 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2012, Ashley was ranked #216 and Lesley #4805 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1999, Ashley was ranked #291 and Lesley #259 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ashley was ranked #1406 and Lesley #3695 among girls in England and Wales.
Ashley and Lesley over time
Ashley and Lesley appear together in 2 published lists, across 58 years of shared records. Ashley held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Lesley in 0.
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.
Lesley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Ashley 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 1985, Ashley moved ahead of Lesley in Republic of Ireland · Girls — #298 and #205 the year before became #159 and #187.
- Longest-running competitions
Ashley and Lesley were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1964 to 2002, ending at #208 and #512.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Ashley #152 in 1996, Lesley #671 in 1996.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1964–2002
Ashley held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Lesley in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #128 in 1995, Lesley #133 in 1968.
The order changed in 1985: Ashley moved ahead. In 1984 they stood at #298 and #205; by 1985 that had become #159 and #187.
Most recent shared year, 2002: Ashley #208, Lesley #512.
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2024
Ashley held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Lesley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #152 in 1996, Lesley #671 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashley #1406, Lesley #3695.
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 | Lesley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | Used for both boys and girls | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| 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, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ashley and Lesley both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
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 #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Lesley
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #34 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1967
Highest recorded position: #34 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1967).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls