Find out how popular the last name Ash is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ash.

Ash, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ash surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ash in America

Ash is the 1709th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ash surname appeared 21,030 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Ash.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ash to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Ash

The surname Ash has its origins in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "aesc," which means ash tree. This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near or was associated with an ash tree or a location where ash trees grew abundantly.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Ash can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Aessce" and "de Asse." This suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the surname Ash appeared in various forms, such as "Asse," "Ashe," and "Aysshe," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. The name was also associated with various place names, such as Ash in Derbyshire, Ash in Hampshire, and Ash in Somerset, indicating that the name may have originated from these locations.

One notable early bearer of the surname Ash was John Ash, a 14th-century English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in 1376 and 1379. Another prominent figure was Thomas Ash, a 15th-century English writer and translator who lived from approximately 1425 to 1490.

In the 16th century, the surname Ash gained further prominence with individuals like Valentine Ash, an English clergyman and writer who lived from 1530 to 1608. He is known for his work "The Supplie of Dearth," which addressed the issue of food scarcity in England.

The 17th century saw the birth of John Ash, an English philologist and lexicographer who lived from 1624 to 1686. He is best known for his work "The New and Complete Dictionary of the English Language," which was published in 1775.

In the 18th century, Edward Ash, an English politician and landowner, lived from 1718 to 1802. He served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset and was known for his involvement in the American Revolutionary War.

Throughout history, the surname Ash has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, such as literature, politics, and academia, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments of those who have carried this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ash

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ash.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ash was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ash has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ash was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ash, please contact us.

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