Ashanta
A feminine name derived from Sanskrit meaning "peaceful" or "content."
Name Census estimates that about 576 living Americans carry the first name Ashanta. It is a predominantly female name (99.0% of registrations). The average person named Ashanta today is around 35 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ashanta births was 2002 (67 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ashanta. 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
576
~ 1 in 595,060 Americans
Peak year
2002
67 babies that year
Average age
35
years old
1979 SSA rank
#5,402
Tracked since 1971
Gender
Gender distribution for Ashanta
Out of the 603 babies given the name Ashanta since 1880, 99.0% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Ashanta as a male name
- Ranked #5,402 in 1979
- 6 male births in 1979
- Peak: 1979 (6 births)
Ashanta as a female name
- Ranked #15,633 in 2008
- 6 female births in 2008
- Peak: 2002 (67 births)
Popularity
Ashanta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ashanta from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 184 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
Ashanta 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 Ashanta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ashantas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia recorded the most babies named Ashanta, while Ohio, Florida, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ashanta
The name Ashanta is of African origin, derived from the Akan language spoken in Ghana and other parts of West Africa. It is believed to have emerged during the 15th century when the Akan people were at the height of their cultural and political influence in the region.
The name Ashanta is a combination of two Akan words: "asha" meaning "born on a Thursday" and "nta" meaning "excellence" or "greatness". Thus, the name can be interpreted to mean "born on a Thursday with excellence" or "born on a Thursday with greatness".
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ashanta can be found in the oral traditions and folklore of the Akan people, where it was often bestowed upon children born on a Thursday who were believed to possess exceptional qualities or destinies.
In the 16th century, during the height of the Ashanti Empire in what is now modern-day Ghana, the name Ashanta gained prominence among the ruling class and nobility. It was often given to princesses and daughters of high-ranking officials, symbolizing the greatness and excellence they were expected to embody.
Historically notable figures who bore the name Ashanta include Ashanta Mayfield (1942-2014), an American civil rights activist and educator who played a pivotal role in desegregating schools in Mississippi during the 1960s. Another prominent figure was Ashanta Kilgore (1932-2009), a renowned African-American artist and sculptor whose works celebrated the beauty and resilience of the African diaspora.
In the 18th century, Ashanta Zulu (1720-1790) was a respected warrior and strategist in the Zulu Kingdom, known for her leadership and tactical brilliance on the battlefield. Centuries later, Ashanta Khumalo (1901-1985) would gain recognition as a pioneering South African writer and activist, using her literary works to challenge the apartheid regime and advocate for social justice.
Another notable figure was Ashanta Semakula (1924-2003), a Ugandan politician and diplomat who played a crucial role in her country's independence movement and later served as Uganda's ambassador to several nations.
Throughout history, the name Ashanta has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, united by their embodiment of excellence, greatness, and a connection to their African heritage.
People
Ashanta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ashanta 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
Ashanta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ashanta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 576 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ashanta 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 595,060 US residents.
Is Ashanta a common name?
We classify Ashanta as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 603 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ashanta most popular?
The single biggest year for Ashanta was 2002, when 67 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ashanta is about 35 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ashanta a female name?
Yes, 99.0% of people registered as Ashanta in the SSA data are female. 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.