Ashley vs May
Ashley and Maycompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Ashley was ranked #432 and May #355 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Ashley was ranked #443 and May #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Ashley was ranked #1406 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.
Ashley and May over time
Ashley and May appear together in 2 published lists, across 62 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 2 of those lists, and May 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Ashley and May changed places 6 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1971 and 2025, ending at #443 and #718.
- Longest-running competitions
Ashley and May were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 33 years, from 1971 to 2025, ending at #443 and #718.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls33 shared years, 1971–2025
Ashley held the stronger position in 22 of those years, May in 10.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #136 in 1994, May #262 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ashley #443, May #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ashley held the stronger position in 12 of those years, May in 17.
Highest recorded here: Ashley #152 in 1996, May #325 in 2007.
The order changed in 2009: May moved ahead. In 2008 they stood at #380 and #385; by 2009 that had become #421 and #387.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ashley #1406, May #610.
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 | May |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | Norway · Girls #481 (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 has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
- Both names have recorded usage in 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 #443 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
May
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls