Ashanty
A feminine given name of Sanskrit origin meaning "peaceful and calm".
Name Census estimates that about 584 living Americans carry the first name Ashanty. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ashanty today is around 19 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ashanty births was 2003 (74 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ashanty. 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
584
~ 1 in 586,908 Americans
Peak year
2003
74 babies that year
Average age
19
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,623
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Ashanty: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ashanty from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 386 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ashanty 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 Ashanty during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ashantys live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Ashanty, while Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Ashanty
The name Ashanty is thought to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which was spoken by the ancient Aryans in the Indian subcontinent around the 2nd millennium BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "ashanti," meaning "calmness" or "peace."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Ashanty can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, which date back to around 1500-500 BCE. In these sacred texts, the name is mentioned as a reference to the concept of inner tranquility and serenity.
Throughout the centuries, the name Ashanty has been associated with several notable figures in Indian history. One such individual was Ashanty Devi, a renowned poet and scholar who lived during the 12th century CE in the region of modern-day Rajasthan, India. Her works were widely celebrated for their depth and spiritual wisdom.
Another prominent figure with the name Ashanty was Ashanty Bai, a courageous warrior and leader who fought against the Mughal Empire in the 17th century CE. She is remembered for her bravery and unwavering defense of her people's freedom.
In more recent times, Ashanty Singh was a pioneering Indian scientist who made significant contributions to the field of astrophysics in the early 20th century. Born in 1892, she was among the first women in India to pursue a career in science and paved the way for future generations of female scientists.
Ashanty Bhattacharya was a celebrated Indian classical dancer who lived from 1920 to 2005. She was widely regarded as one of the greatest exponents of the Odissi dance form and helped to revive and preserve this ancient tradition.
Additionally, Ashanty Reddy was a respected social activist and philanthropist born in 1935 in Hyderabad, India. She dedicated her life to empowering underprivileged communities and advocating for education and women's rights.
People
Ashanty + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ashanty 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
Ashanty: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ashanty?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 584 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ashanty 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 586,908 US residents.
Is Ashanty a common name?
We classify Ashanty as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 592 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ashanty most popular?
The single biggest year for Ashanty was 2003, when 74 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ashanty is about 19 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ashanty a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ashanty 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.