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

Ashford, 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 Ashford surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ashford in America

Ashford is the 3760th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ashford surname appeared 9,421 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 Ashford.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ashford 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 Ashford

The surname Ashford originated in England and dates back to the Anglo-Saxon era. It is a locational surname, derived from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree and "ford" referring to a shallow river crossing. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place where ash trees grew near a ford or river crossing.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Ashford can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Esseford" and "Asseford". This medieval record documented landholdings and property owners throughout England following the Norman Conquest.

In the 12th century, the name Ashford was found in various counties across England, including Kent, Middlesex, and Derbyshire. The spelling variations included Asheford, Assheford, and Asshford, reflecting the phonetic changes in the English language over time.

Notable individuals with the surname Ashford throughout history include:

1. Sir Edmund Ashford (c. 1510-1585), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1587.

2. Thomas Ashford (1570-1634), an English clergyman and theologian who served as the Rector of St. Benet's Church in Cambridge.

3. Mary Ashford (1793-1817), an English woman whose murder in 1817 became a notorious case in Lincolnshire, leading to the execution of Abraham Thornton for her killing.

4. William Ashford (1792-1858), an English painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits.

5. Daisy Ashford (1881-1972), an English writer and novelist best known for her novella "The Young Visiters" written at the age of nine.

The name Ashford has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Ashford in Kent, Ashford in Middlesex, and Ashford in Derbyshire, further reflecting the locational origins of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ashford

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

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

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

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