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

Ashcroft, 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 Ashcroft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ashcroft in America

Ashcroft is the 16254th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ashcroft surname appeared 1,775 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Ashcroft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ashcroft 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 Ashcroft

The surname Ashcroft has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree and "croft" meaning a small enclosed field or meadow. The surname essentially means "dweller at the ash tree meadow."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where a William de Askecroft is mentioned. The Pipe Rolls were administrative records maintained by the English Exchequer for financial transactions and tax records.

Another early reference to the name can be found in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire in 1246, which mentions a Richard de Askecroft. These rolls documented legal proceedings and disputes related to land ownership and inheritance.

The name was originally spelled in various ways, including Ascroft, Ashecroft, and Ashcroft, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. Some instances of the name were also recorded as de Askecroft or de Ascroft, indicating the family's place of origin.

In the 14th century, the Ashcroft surname appears in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John de Ascroft is mentioned in 1348. These rolls documented legal proceedings and transactions related to the manor's estates and tenants.

One notable bearer of the Ashcroft name was Sir Ralph Ashcroft (c. 1435–1512), a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament from Lancashire. He served as High Sheriff of Lancashire and was involved in the Wars of the Roses, supporting the House of Lancaster.

Another influential figure was Sir Richard Ashcroft (1568–1632), an English judge and politician who served as Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer and held several influential positions during the reign of King James I.

In the 18th century, John Ashcroft (1692–1768) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of the moon's motion and the calculation of eclipses.

The Ashcroft name also gained prominence in the United States, with Robert Ashcroft (1775–1846) being a prominent early settler in Ohio and a representative in the state's legislature.

Finally, John Ashcroft (born 1942) is a notable American politician and lawyer who served as the 79th United States Attorney General under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ashcroft

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

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

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

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