Asaf
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "gatherer" or "collector".
Name Census estimates that about 383 living Americans carry the first name Asaf. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Asaf today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Asaf births was 2024 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Asaf. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
383
~ 1 in 894,920 Americans
Peak year
2024
26 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,068
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Asaf: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Asaf from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 89 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Asaf by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Asaf during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Asafs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Asaf, while Florida, Texas, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Asaf
The name Asaf has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is derived from the Biblical Hebrew word 'asaph', meaning to gather or assemble. The name is believed to have been in use since ancient times in the Middle East.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Asaf can be found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of one of the Levites, a descendant of Gershon. Asaf was appointed by King David as one of the leaders of the Temple singers and musicians in Jerusalem.
In the 8th century BCE, Asaf was also the name of a Judahite scribe and recorder under King Hezekiah, as mentioned in the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Asaf. One of the most famous was Asaf Yad'idu, a 9th century BCE Aramean king who ruled over the ancient city-state of Arpad, located in modern-day Syria.
Another notable figure was Asaf Judaeus, a 1st century BCE Jewish historian and scholar who wrote about the history of the Jewish people and their exile from ancient Israel.
In the medieval period, Asaf al-Yahudi was an influential Jewish philosopher and physician who lived in the 10th century CE in what is now Iraq. He was known for his contributions to the fields of medicine and philosophy.
During the Ottoman Empire, Asaf Pasha was a 16th century grand vizier and military leader who served under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
In more recent times, Asaf Avidan is an Israeli musician and singer-songwriter born in 1980, known for his unique vocal style and alternative rock music.
People
Asaf + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Asaf as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Asaf: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Asaf?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 383 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Asaf going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 894,920 US residents.
Is Asaf a common name?
We classify Asaf as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 390 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Asaf most popular?
The single biggest year for Asaf was 2024, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Asaf is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Asaf a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Asaf in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.