My Name, Ashley: Echoes of Friendship, Strength, and Inspiration

Ashley: From Heartfelt Memories to the Strength of the Ash Tree

My name is Ashley Lewis. I am the person that always hits the snooze button when my alarm goes off. I have to have my music on full blast in the car. I have a concert in the shower. I am a huge sun lover. Volleyball and painting are my favorite hobbies. I tend to overthink things more often than not. Lastly, I like any chance I get to spend time with my friends and family.

My mom named me Ashley after one of her best friends in college. They were roommates at the University of Santa Cruz. She said she never met anyone like her. That they just instantly connected. Unfortunately, her friend passed away in a tragic accident. So, after my mom knew she was having a girl, she wanted to name me after her closest friend.
In English, my name means “Who lives in an Ash Tree grove” or “From an Ash Tree.” I know what you are probably thinking. That sounds weird, but Ash Trees have a lot of meaning behind them. They represent Strength from their strong roots from the ground. Ash Tree also represents growth. The ash tree reminds us every day that it’s important to stay connected to our roots and grow from them. If not doing so, we will not pursue any strength to keep growing as a person. The Ash tree has always been mysterious because of its power of healing and enchantment. It was believed in the old times that a child suffering from warts could be cured by way of the ash tree.

Discoveries About My Name: From Irish Roots to Hollywood Inspirations

My family and I are also Irish. My name in Irish means dreams and visions. My aunt and grandma currently live in Dublin, Ireland. I hope to visit them one day, so they can teach me more about our Irish culture. Since my name means dreams and visions, maybe with all my Irish luck in my genes, they can all come true!

In school, the name Ashley was so popular. There would be at least three to four Ashleys in all of my classes every year. Us Ashley, we never really got along with each other. During class, I used to get my name mixed up when the teacher during lecture would say, “Actually.” I always heard my name from that word because it sounded so familiar.

Growing up with my name, I have always liked it. I never wanted to change it. One of my idols as a kid had my first name. She was an actress and singer. She was in one of my favorite movies growing up as a kid, High School Musical. This movie was the hit of my generation and still is. I own the DVD, and every time I watch it with my friends, it’s like we’re little kids again. My favorite person in the movie was Sharpay, but her real name in life is Ashley Tisdale. She was into fashion, drama queen, and sassy. Her personality in the movie was totally me. I read a quote from her in a magazine once, and it has always stayed with me. “Don’t let anyone or any rejection keep you from what you want.” What she is simply saying is don’t take rejection personally. Don’t let someone else’s bad day spoil your day. Most importantly, as long as you never reject yourself, you’ll be fine. Rejection is a step closer to success.

References:

1. O’Reilly, B. (2015). “The Etymology of Irish Names.” Irish Heritage Press, pp. 78-79.

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