2000
#30,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 737
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Rare Last name
Asante
An Akan surname originating from Ghana, meaning 'thank you' or 'gratitude'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,745 Americans carry the last name Asante. That puts it at #12,391 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asante surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Asante with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 124,865
Census rank
#12,391
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,394 bearers of the surname Asante in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12391st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asante, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asante
The surname "ASANTE" originates from the Akan people of Ghana, West Africa. It is derived from the Akan word "asante," which means "because of war" or "due to war." The name likely originated during the 17th or 18th century, when the Asante Empire, a powerful kingdom in present-day Ghana, was at its peak.
The Asante Empire was founded in the late 17th century by Osei Tutu, who united several Akan states and established the capital at Kumasi. The empire became known for its military prowess, with the Asante warriors renowned for their skill and bravery in battle. It is possible that the name "ASANTE" was given to individuals or families who distinguished themselves in the wars or conflicts of the Asante Empire.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name "ASANTE" can be found in the writings of European travelers and traders who visited the region during the 18th and 19th centuries. These accounts often described the Asante people and their customs, sometimes referring to individual Asante leaders or warriors by name.
One notable bearer of the name "ASANTE" was Nana Yaa Asantewaa, a influential queen mother who led the Asante rebellion against British colonial rule in 1900. She was born around 1840 and played a crucial role in rallying the Asante forces against the British, earning her a place in Ghanaian history as a symbol of resistance and courage.
Another famous person with the surname "ASANTE" was Kwame Asante, a Ghanaian writer and academic who was born in 1933. He was a professor of African American Studies at Temple University and wrote extensively on African and African American culture, including the influential book "Afrocentricity."
In more recent times, Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006, had the surname "Annan," which is a variant spelling of "ASANTE." Annan was born in 1938 in Kumasi, the former capital of the Asante Empire, and played a pivotal role in international diplomacy and conflict resolution.
Additionally, Kwadwo Asante Atwere, a Ghanaian politician and diplomat, served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana from 1997 to 2001. He was born in 1936 and had a long career in public service, representing Ghana on the international stage.
Overall, the surname "ASANTE" has a rich history rooted in the Akan culture of Ghana and the legacy of the Asante Empire. It has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from politics and diplomacy to literature and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asante
Among Census respondents with the surname Asante, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Asante bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Asante surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American92.8% · 2,221
- White2.9% · 70
- Two or more races2.7% · 64
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asante
Asante appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#17,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,596
+859 bearers (+116.6%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Up 12,418 places
2020
#12,391
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,394
+798 bearers (+50.0%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Up 5,214 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,023 | 737 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,605 | 1,596 | 0.54 | +859 bearers (+116.6%) | Up 12,418 places |
| 2020 | #12,391 | 2,394 | 0.80 | +798 bearers (+50.0%) | Up 5,214 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Asante surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #17,605 | #12,391 | 29.6% |
| Count | 1,596 | 2,394 | 50.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.80 | 48.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asante bearers went from 1,596 to 2,394 (+50.0% change). The surname moved up 5,214 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,605 to #12,391.
FAQ
Asante surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asante?
Name Census estimates that about 2,745 living Americans carry the surname Asante. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,865 residents.
How common is Asante?
Asante ranks #12,391 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,394 people with the surname Asante. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,745), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Asante.
Has Asante become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asante went from 1,596 recorded bearers to 2,394. That is an increase of 798 (+50.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,605 to #12,391.
What does the Census say about the background of Asante?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asante, the largest self-reported group is Black at 92.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Asante in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,221 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asante appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (92.8%), White (2.9%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Asante (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Asante mean?
An Akan surname originating from Ghana, meaning 'thank you' or 'gratitude'. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Asante (0.80 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Asante?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.