2000
#7,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,998
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Ashburn
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream where ash trees grow" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,282 Americans carry the last name Ashburn. That puts it at #8,480 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ashburn 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 Ashburn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,045
Census rank
#8,480
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,734 bearers of the surname Ashburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8480th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ashburn
The surname Ashburn originated in England, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 13th century. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree and "burna" meaning a stream or brook. This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived near an ash tree by a stream or brook.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1198, where it appears as "de Esseburn." This spelling variation reflects the evolution of the name over time, as the pronunciation and written form adapted to regional dialects and scribal conventions.
The Ashburn surname has a strong connection to certain regions of England, particularly in the counties of Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire. These areas were known for their abundance of ash trees and numerous small streams, making it a natural environment for the name to originate.
In the Domesday Book, a renowned medieval survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, several place names similar to Ashburn can be found, including "Esseburne" and "Esseburn." While these entries do not directly reference individuals with the Ashburn surname, they provide evidence of the name's geographical roots.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Ashburn surname. One of the earliest was John de Ashburn, a 14th-century English landowner and knight who served under Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. Another prominent figure was Richard Ashburn (1535-1605), an English clergyman and author who played a significant role in the English Reformation.
Other notable individuals include William Ashburn (1691-1768), a British colonial administrator who served as the 17th Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and John Ashburn (1753-1828), an English engraver and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
In the literary realm, Harriet Ashburn (1844-1923) was an American novelist and short story writer who wrote under the pen name "Frances Courtenay Baylor." Her works often depicted life in the American South during the late 19th century.
While the Ashburn surname has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and colonization. However, its earliest recorded instances and historical significance can be traced back to the English counties where it first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ashburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ashburn 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 Ashburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 3,206
- Black or African American6.7% · 250
- Two or more races3.4% · 128
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 102
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ashburn
Ashburn 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
#8,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,112
+114 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.39
Rank movement Down 373 places
2020
#8,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,734
-378 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 431 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,676 | 3,998 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,049 | 4,112 | 1.39 | +114 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 373 places |
| 2020 | #8,480 | 3,734 | 1.25 | -378 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 431 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 Ashburn 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 | #8,049 | #8,480 | -5.4% |
| Count | 4,112 | 3,734 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.39 | 1.25 | -10.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ashburn bearers went from 4,112 to 3,734 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 431 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,049 to #8,480.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ashburn
FAQ
Ashburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ashburn?
Name Census estimates that about 4,282 living Americans carry the surname Ashburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,045 residents.
How common is Ashburn?
Ashburn ranks #8,480 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.25 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 3,734 people with the surname Ashburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.25 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 Ashburn.
Has Ashburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ashburn went from 4,112 recorded bearers to 3,734. That is a decrease of 378 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,049 to #8,480.
What does the Census say about the background of Ashburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Ashburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (3,206 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ashburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Black (6.7%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Ashburn (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 Ashburn mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream where ash trees grow" in Old English. 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 Ashburn (1.25 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 common is the surname Ashburn?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Ashburn at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.