2000
#1,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,500
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.60
Uncommon Last name
Ash
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near an ash tree or a place with ash trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 23,465 Americans carry the last name Ash. That puts it at #1,716 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,607 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ash 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 Ash with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
23K
1 in 14,607
Census rank
#1,716
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 20,463 bearers of the surname Ash in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1716th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ash, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ash
Among Census respondents with the surname Ash, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ash 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 Ash surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 15,981
- Black or African American12.8% · 2,621
- Two or more races4.6% · 948
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 669
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 168
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 76
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ash
Ash 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
#1,709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,030
+530 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 7.13
Rank movement Down 100 places
2020
#1,716
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,463
-567 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 6.85
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,609 | 20,500 | 7.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,709 | 21,030 | 7.13 | +530 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 100 places |
| 2020 | #1,716 | 20,463 | 6.85 | -567 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 7 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 Ash 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 | #1,709 | #1,716 | -0.4% |
| Count | 21,030 | 20,463 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.13 | 6.85 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ash bearers went from 21,030 to 20,463 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,709 to #1,716.
FAQ
Ash surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ash?
Name Census estimates that about 23,465 living Americans carry the surname Ash. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,607 residents.
How common is Ash?
Ash ranks #1,716 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.85 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 20,463 people with the surname Ash. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (23,465), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.85 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Ash.
Has Ash become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ash went from 21,030 recorded bearers to 20,463. That is a decrease of 567 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,709 to #1,716.
What does the Census say about the background of Ash?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ash, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (12.8%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Ash in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (15,981 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ash appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.1%), Black (12.8%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Ash (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 Ash mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near an ash tree or a place with ash trees. 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 Ash (6.85 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 Ash?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.