2000
#13,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Asay
Derived from the Old Norse personal name Ási, meaning "god," combined with the suffix -ey, meaning "island."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,647 Americans carry the last name Asay. That puts it at #12,762 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 129,488 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asay 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.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 129,488
Census rank
#12,762
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,308 bearers of the surname Asay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12762nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asay, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asay
The surname ASAY is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the place name "Esshe" or "Asshe," which was a village located in the county of Essex, England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ASAY can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Assi" or "Assy." This ancient record provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during the Norman conquest of England.
The name ASAY is thought to have evolved from the Old English words "æsc" or "esc," meaning "ash tree," suggesting that the original bearers of this surname may have resided near or been associated with an area abundant in ash trees.
In the 13th century, records show individuals bearing the name ASAY, such as William de Ashe, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1278. This document, which recorded land transfers and legal agreements, provides evidence of the name's continued use during this period.
Notable historical figures who bore the surname ASAY include John Asay (1597-1663), an English clergyman and author who served as the Vicar of Shrawton in Wiltshire. Another prominent individual was Sir Robert Asay (1618-1692), a Member of Parliament who represented the constituency of Thetford in Norfolk during the 17th century.
In the 16th century, the name ASAY underwent various spelling variations, such as Ashe, Asshe, and Aish, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records and regional dialects of the time. This diversity in spelling also suggests the name's widespread use across different regions of England.
One notable individual from this period was John Ashe (1534-1609), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset. He was also appointed as the Recorder of Bristol and played a crucial role in the city's governance during the late 16th century.
Another noteworthy figure was Thomas Ashe (1618-1678), an English writer and Anglican clergyman who authored several religious works, including "The Unmasker Unmasked" and "A Seasonable Discourse concerning Submission to the Present Government."
Throughout its history, the surname ASAY has maintained a strong presence, particularly in England and its surrounding regions, reflecting the rich cultural and historical heritage associated with this ancestral name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asay
Among Census respondents with the surname Asay, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Asay 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 Asay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 2,078
- Two or more races4.0% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asay
Asay 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
#13,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,227
+96 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Down 450 places
2020
#12,762
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,308
+81 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 841 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,153 | 2,131 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,603 | 2,227 | 0.75 | +96 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 450 places |
| 2020 | #12,762 | 2,308 | 0.77 | +81 bearers (+3.6%) | Up 841 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 Asay 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 | #13,603 | #12,762 | 6.2% |
| Count | 2,227 | 2,308 | 3.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 0.77 | 3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asay bearers went from 2,227 to 2,308 (+3.6% change). The surname moved up 841 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,603 to #12,762.
FAQ
Asay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asay?
Name Census estimates that about 2,647 living Americans carry the surname Asay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 129,488 residents.
How common is Asay?
Asay ranks #12,762 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,308 people with the surname Asay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,647), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Asay.
Has Asay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asay went from 2,227 recorded bearers to 2,308. That is an increase of 81 (+3.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,603 to #12,762.
What does the Census say about the background of Asay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asay, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Asay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (2,078 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Asay (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 Asay mean?
Derived from the Old Norse personal name Ási, meaning "god," combined with the suffix -ey, meaning "island." 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 Asay (0.77 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 have the surname Asay?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.