Ashawna
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly derived from a Native American language.
Name Census estimates that about 105 living Americans carry the first name Ashawna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Ashawna today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ashawna births was 2006 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ashawna. 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
105
~ 1 in 3,264,327 Americans
Peak year
2006
13 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2015 SSA rank
#16,743
Tracked since 1993
Popularity
Ashawna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ashawna from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 75 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
Ashawna 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 Ashawna 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 Ashawna
The name Ashawna has its origins in the Native American languages of the Algonquian family, particularly in the Mohegan and Pequot dialects spoken in the region that is now known as Connecticut and Rhode Island. The name is believed to have emerged in the 17th or 18th century, during the time of early European colonization in North America.
Ashawna is derived from the word "ashawn," which means "traveler" or "wanderer" in the Mohegan language. This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who were known for their adventurous spirit or their tendency to explore new territories.
While there are no definitive historical records of the name's earliest usage, it is likely that Ashawna was initially used by Native American tribes in the region as a personal name for both males and females. The name's popularity may have spread through cultural exchange and intermarriage between Native Americans and European settlers.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Ashawna was a Pequot woman born around 1670 in what is now eastern Connecticut. She was known for her skills as a guide and interpreter, assisting English colonists in their interactions with the local tribes.
Another notable figure was Ashawna Uncas, a Mohegan leader born in 1720, who played a pivotal role in negotiating land treaties and maintaining peaceful relations between his tribe and the colonial authorities in Connecticut.
In the 19th century, Ashawna Wampy, a Pequot artist born in 1825, gained recognition for her intricate beadwork and basket weaving, preserving the traditional crafts of her people.
Ashawna Quinnay, born in 1875, was a respected healer and herbalist among the Mohegan tribe, renowned for her vast knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional healing practices.
Lastly, Ashawna Wilcox, a Pequot author and activist born in 1920, dedicated her life to raising awareness about the struggles and resilience of Native American communities, advocating for their rights and cultural preservation.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the name Ashawna, a name deeply rooted in the rich cultural heritage of the Algonquian peoples of what is now the northeastern United States.
People
Ashawna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ashawna 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
Ashawna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ashawna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 105 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ashawna 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 3,264,327 US residents.
Is Ashawna a common name?
We classify Ashawna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 107 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ashawna most popular?
The single biggest year for Ashawna was 2006, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ashawna is about 22 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 Ashawna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ashawna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ashawna 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.
Is Ashawna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ashawna 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 Ashawna 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 are named Ashawna?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Ashawna at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.