Asbery
A variation of the English surname meaning "ash tree meadow".
Name Census estimates that about 3 living Americans carry the first name Asbery. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Asbery today is around 84 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Asbery births was 1916 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Asbery. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Asbery is about 84 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Asberys were born before 1952.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Asbery. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
3
~ 1 in 114,251,446 Americans
Peak year
1916
6 babies that year
Average age
84
years old
1943 SSA rank
#3,577
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Asbery: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Asbery from the 1910s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 10 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Asbery remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Asbery 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 Asbery during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Asbery
The name Asbery has its origins in the Old English language, dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period around the 5th to 11th centuries AD. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "aes" meaning ash tree, and "burh" meaning a fortified place or settlement. The combination of these words suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or in a settlement surrounded by ash trees.
The earliest recorded use of the name Asbery can be traced back to the 11th century, where it appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this historical document, the name is spelled as "Æscbyri" and is believed to refer to various locations in the counties of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Asbery was Asbery de Lacy, a Norman nobleman who lived in the 12th century. He was a prominent figure during the reign of King Henry II and played a significant role in the Norman conquest of Ireland.
Another notable figure bearing this name was Asbery Compton, an English politician and landowner who lived from 1601 to 1661. He served as a Member of Parliament for the county of Somerset and was a staunch supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, Asbery Dickens, an English author and journalist, was born in 1745. He is best known for his satirical works and his contributions to various literary journals of the time.
During the 19th century, Asbery Fairfax, an American politician and military officer, gained recognition for his service in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He was born in 1829 and played a crucial role in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg.
Lastly, one of the more recent examples is Asbery Whittier, an American poet and essayist who lived from 1907 to 1992. He was widely acclaimed for his profound and introspective works, which explored themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition.
While the name Asbery may have fallen out of common usage in modern times, its rich history and connection to various cultures and individuals throughout the centuries make it a fascinating and unique name to explore.
People
Asbery + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Asbery 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
Asbery: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Asbery?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Asbery 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 114,251,446 US residents.
Is Asbery a common name?
We classify Asbery as "Very Rare". It ranks above 4.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 21 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Asbery most popular?
The single biggest year for Asbery was 1916, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Asbery is about 84 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Asbery in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Asbery a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Asbery 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.
Is Asbery still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Asbery in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Asbery can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Asbery?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.