2000
#137,816
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Asbra
Nordic surname derived from asbjorn, meaning divine bear in Old Norse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Asbra. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asbra 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Asbra in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asbra, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asbra
The surname ASBRA is believed to have originated in the region of Brittany, in northwestern France, during the early Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the old Breton word "asbren," which translates to "aspen tree." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near an aspen grove or worked with aspen wood.
Historical records indicate that variations of the name, such as Asbren and Asbrenn, appeared in several medieval documents from the region. One notable example is a land registry from the year 1187, which mentions an individual named Guilhem Asbrenn as a landowner in the village of Lanrivain.
The earliest recorded instance of the modern spelling "ASBRA" dates back to the 14th century, when a certain Yvon ASBRA was listed as a resident of the town of Guingamp in the Duchy of Brittany. This spelling variation may have emerged due to the influence of the French language in the region during that time.
Throughout the centuries, several individuals bearing the ASBRA surname have left their mark in history. One such figure was Jean ASBRA, a renowned woodcarver who lived in the 16th century and was renowned for his intricate works adorning churches and noble residences in Brittany.
Another notable bearer of the name was Yves ASBRA, a Breton sailor who participated in several expeditions to the New World in the 17th century. His name is recorded in the ship's logs of the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, indicating his involvement in the exploration and settlement of parts of present-day Canada.
In the 18th century, Marie-Yvonne ASBRA gained recognition as a skilled lacemaker from the town of Pont-l'Abbé, whose delicate creations were sought after by the French nobility and found their way into royal collections.
During the French Revolution, a man named Gilles ASBRA played a role as a local leader in the city of Quimper, where he advocated for the rights of the Breton people and their cultural traditions.
In more recent times, the writer and poet Hervé ASBRA, born in 1923, gained acclaim for his works celebrating the unique heritage and landscapes of his native Brittany, earning him numerous literary awards throughout his lifetime.
These examples illustrate the deep roots and historical significance of the ASBRA surname, which has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries, while maintaining a strong connection to the cultural traditions of Brittany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asbra
Among Census respondents with the surname Asbra, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Hispanic (6.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Asbra 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 Asbra surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.1% · 86
- Two or more races7.9% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asbra
Asbra 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-6 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,953 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-5 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 1,501 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #137,816 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 15,953 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 1,501 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 Asbra 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 | #153,769 | #155,270 | -1.0% |
| Count | 106 | 101 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asbra bearers went from 106 to 101 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 1,501 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #155,270.
FAQ
Asbra surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asbra?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Asbra. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Asbra?
Asbra ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Asbra. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Asbra.
Has Asbra become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asbra went from 106 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Asbra?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asbra, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.9%) and Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Asbra in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.1% (86 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asbra appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.1%), Two or More Races (7.9%), Hispanic (6.9%). 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 Asbra (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 Asbra mean?
Nordic surname derived from asbjorn, meaning divine bear in Old Norse. 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 Asbra (0.03 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 last name Asbra?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Asbra is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.