2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Ashmen
An occupational surname derived from the Old English "æsc" meaning ash tree, referring to one who lived near an ash tree or grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Ashmen. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ashmen 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.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Ashmen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashmen, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Black (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ashmen
The surname "ASHMEN" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is likely derived from the Old English word "æsc," meaning "ash tree," combined with the suffix "-man," which was commonly used to denote a person's occupation or association with a particular place or object.
One possible explanation for the origin of this surname is that it may have been given to someone who lived near or worked with ash trees, perhaps as a forester, woodcutter, or charcoal burner. Alternatively, it could have been a locational surname, referring to a person who lived in an area known for its abundance of ash trees.
While there are no definitive historical records mentioning the surname "ASHMEN" specifically, it is worth noting that the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, contains numerous entries related to ash trees and their associated occupations.
The earliest known recorded instance of the surname "ASHMEN" dates back to the late 13th century, when a John Ashmen was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1275. Another early record is from the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1279, which lists a Richard Asheman.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "ASHMEN," including:
1. Sir Thomas Ashmen (1555-1628), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the early 17th century.
2. William Ashmen (1680-1752), a British author and philosopher who wrote extensively on the concept of natural rights and the social contract.
3. Elizabeth Ashmen (1715-1781), a renowned English botanist and plant collector who made significant contributions to the study of British flora.
4. John Ashmen (1790-1867), a prominent British architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London during the 19th century.
5. Margaret Ashmen (1856-1932), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, who played a pivotal role in establishing several colleges and universities in the northeastern United States.
It is worth noting that the surname "ASHMEN" has also been associated with various place names and locations, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire, where it appears to have been most prevalent in its early recorded history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ashmen
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashmen, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Black (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ashmen 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 Ashmen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 98
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
- Black or African American4.4% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ashmen
Ashmen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+10 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,013 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 10,013 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 Ashmen 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 | #157,234 | #147,221 | 6.4% |
| Count | 103 | 113 | 9.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 26.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ashmen bearers went from 103 to 113 (+9.7% change). The surname moved up 10,013 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #147,221.
FAQ
Ashmen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ashmen?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Ashmen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Ashmen?
Ashmen ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Ashmen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Ashmen.
Has Ashmen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ashmen went from 103 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 10 (+9.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Ashmen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashmen, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Black (4.4%). 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 Ashmen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ashmen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Two or More Races (7.1%), Black (4.4%). 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 Ashmen (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 Ashmen mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Old English "æsc" meaning ash tree, referring to one who lived near an ash tree or grove. 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 Ashmen (0.04 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 many people share the surname Ashmen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.