How Do You Feel About Your Name, Ashley?

This week’s interview is actually a double interview featuring two subjects named Ashley.

The first Ashley, a 20-year-old from the U.S., says she “was a victim of TV fanaticism”:

I was named after a soap opera character (yes, that one).

This sounds familiar to the second Ashley, a 21-year-old from Canada:

Oh, the pain… I, too, am named after that damned character.

They’re referring to Ashley Abbott, who first appeared on The Young and the Restless in 1982. The character helped catapult the name (which had already been rising in popularity) into the U.S. top 10 from 1983 until 2005. The year both Ashleys were born, their name ranked second behind Jessica. (Canada doesn’t publish nation-wide baby name statistics.)

American Ashley says that “so many other people have my name that if someone were to call it out in a room, twenty of us would turn around.” She also observes that “it’s an immensely popular name, but still no one knows how to spell it.”

Canadian Ashley agrees: “People always spell it Ashely, which drives me nuts.”

Ultimately, neither Ashley is very fond of her name.

“It’s okay,” says Canadian Ashley. “A lot of people think it’s a pretty name. I guess it is.”

But American Ashley is less enthusiastic. “Yes, I do hate my name. Why do you ask?”

Thanks so much, Ashley & Ashley!

P.S. I did a double interview back in April with two Sandras, if you’d like to compare.

[Want to be interviewed? Let me know via the feedback form.]