2000
#9,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,072
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Ashbaugh
A locational surname derived from places in Lancashire or West Yorkshire, likely referring to an ash tree valley.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,213 Americans carry the last name Ashbaugh. That puts it at #10,859 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,677 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ashbaugh 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
3.2K
1 in 106,677
Census rank
#10,859
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,802 bearers of the surname Ashbaugh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10859th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ashbaugh
The surname Ashbaugh has its origins in Germany and dates back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "asch," meaning ash tree, and "bach," meaning stream or brook, suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near an ash tree by a stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the church records of the town of Offenbach, Germany, where a certain Hans Ashbaugh was listed as a resident in 1587. Another early mention of the name appears in the records of the town of Wiesbaden, where a Johann Ashbaugh was recorded as a landowner in 1612.
The name Ashbaugh has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Aschbach, Aschbaugh, and Ashbough. These variations were likely due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
In terms of notable individuals bearing the surname Ashbaugh, one of the earliest was Johann Ashbaugh (1640-1712), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Mainz, Germany. Another notable figure was Wilhelm Ashbaugh (1778-1852), a German philosopher and author who wrote extensively on the concept of the "Volksgeist" or national spirit.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Ashbaugh can be found in the records of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where a family of German immigrants with the name settled in the late 18th century.
Among notable Americans with the surname Ashbaugh, we have John Ashbaugh (1812-1889), a farmer and politician who served as a member of the Illinois State Senate in the mid-19th century. Another noteworthy individual was Sarah Ashbaugh (1857-1933), a pioneer in the field of nursing education who founded the Ashbaugh School of Nursing in Ohio.
In the 20th century, one of the most renowned individuals with the surname Ashbaugh was Ernest Ashbaugh (1901-1979), an American physicist and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of radar technology during World War II.
Overall, the surname Ashbaugh has a rich history dating back to its German origins and has been borne by individuals of diverse backgrounds and achievements throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ashbaugh
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ashbaugh 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 Ashbaugh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 2,596
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 108
- Two or more races2.5% · 70
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
- Black or African American0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ashbaugh
Ashbaugh 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
#10,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,086
+14 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 724 places
2020
#10,859
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,802
-284 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 432 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,703 | 3,072 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,427 | 3,086 | 1.05 | +14 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 724 places |
| 2020 | #10,859 | 2,802 | 0.94 | -284 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 432 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 Ashbaugh 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 | #10,427 | #10,859 | -4.1% |
| Count | 3,086 | 2,802 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 0.94 | -10.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ashbaugh bearers went from 3,086 to 2,802 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 432 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,427 to #10,859.
FAQ
Ashbaugh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ashbaugh?
Name Census estimates that about 3,213 living Americans carry the surname Ashbaugh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,677 residents.
How common is Ashbaugh?
Ashbaugh ranks #10,859 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,802 people with the surname Ashbaugh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,213), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Ashbaugh.
Has Ashbaugh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ashbaugh went from 3,086 recorded bearers to 2,802. That is a decrease of 284 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,427 to #10,859.
What does the Census say about the background of Ashbaugh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Ashbaugh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (2,596 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ashbaugh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Ashbaugh (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 Ashbaugh mean?
A locational surname derived from places in Lancashire or West Yorkshire, likely referring to an ash tree valley. 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 Ashbaugh (0.94 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 Ashbaugh?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Ashbaugh on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.