A given name of English origin that can be used for both males and females, originally meaning 'ash wood' or 'ash tree clearing.' Also commonly used as a surname.
From Old English 'æsc' (ash tree) and 'leah' (wood, clearing, or meadow). Originally a place name referring to settlements near ash groves, it became a surname and then a given name. The ash tree was considered sacred in Anglo-Saxon culture and Norse mythology.
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