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

Ashcraft, 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 Ashcraft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ashcraft in America

Ashcraft is the 3576th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ashcraft surname appeared 9,957 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Ashcraft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ashcraft 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 Ashcraft

The surname Ashcraft is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree and "cræft" meaning craft or skill. It likely originated as an occupational name for someone who worked with ash wood, such as a maker of ash furniture, tools, or other implements.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century in various parts of England, with spellings such as Ascroft, Ashecroft, and Aschcroft appearing in parish records and tax rolls. The name was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of Lancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire, where ash trees were abundant.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de Ascroft, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1246. Another early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which lists a William de Aschcroft.

In the 16th century, the surname Ashcraft began to appear more frequently in records, with various spellings such as Ashcroft, Ashecroft, and Ashcrofte. Notable individuals from this period include John Ashcroft (c. 1520-1592), a prominent merchant and landowner in Lancashire, and Thomas Ashcroft (c. 1570-1641), a Puritan divine and author from Cheshire.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name continued to be well-represented in various parts of England, particularly in the north. Notable bearers of the name from this period include Edward Ashcroft (1628-1707), a wealthy landowner and benefactor from Lancashire, and John Ashcroft (1688-1768), a prominent Quaker minister and author from Yorkshire.

In the 19th century, the Ashcraft surname began to spread more widely across England and beyond, as migration and industrialization led to increased mobility. One notable figure from this period was Richard Ashcroft (1801-1879), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Lancashire, who played a significant role in the development of the cotton industry.

Over the centuries, variations of the Ashcraft surname have included Ashcroft, Ashcrofte, Ashecroft, Ashecrofte, and Ashcrafte, among others. While the name has been most prevalent in England, it has also been found in other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in countries with significant British immigration, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ashcraft

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

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 Ashcraft 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 Ashcraft 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 Ashcraft was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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