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

Ashley, 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 Ashley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ashley in America

Ashley is the 900th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ashley surname appeared 38,499 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 13 people would have the surname Ashley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ashley 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 Ashley

The surname Ashley has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational name derived from the Old English words "æsc" (ash tree) and "leah" (woodland clearing or meadow), suggesting that the original bearers of this name resided near an ash tree-lined clearing or meadow.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname Ashley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, compiled by order of William the Conqueror. This ancient manuscript lists several individuals with the surname Ashley or variations of it, such as Aisselegh, Asshelee, and Asheleye, indicating the name's existence in various parts of England during the 11th century.

The Ashley family was prominent in the county of Staffordshire, where they held lands and manors from the 12th century onwards. Notable individuals from this lineage include Sir John Ashley (c. 1350-1399), a knight who served under King Richard II, and Sir Anthony Ashley (c. 1477-1536), who was appointed Lieutenant of the Tower of London by King Henry VIII.

Another distinguished bearer of the Ashley name was Sir Ralph Ashley (c. 1565-1642), a Member of Parliament and the founder of the Wimborne St Giles branch of the Ashley family in Dorset. His son, Sir Jacob Ashley (1617-1673), also served as a Member of Parliament and was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the surname Ashley gained further prominence through the life of Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury (1621-1683), a prominent English philosopher, politician, and writer. He was a key figure in the political and intellectual landscape of his time and is considered one of the founders of the Whig party.

Another notable individual bearing the Ashley surname was Sir William James Ashley (1860-1927), an English economic historian and professor at Harvard University. His contributions to the field of economic history and his influential works, such as "An Introduction to English Economic History and Theory," have left a lasting impact.

Throughout history, the Ashley surname has been associated with various places and localities, including Ashley in Cheshire, Ashley Green in Buckinghamshire, and Ashley Down in Bristol. These place names, derived from the same Old English roots as the surname, further reinforce the locational origins of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ashley

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

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

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

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