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

Ashmore, 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 Ashmore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ashmore in America

Ashmore is the 5642nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ashmore surname appeared 6,155 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Ashmore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ashmore 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 Ashmore

The surname Ashmore is of English origin and is believed to have derived from a place name referring to an ash tree grove or meadow. The earliest known recorded spelling of the name dates back to the 12th century, with one Godefridus de Aschemere being mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

The name is thought to have originated in the counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, where several locations bear similar names, such as Ashmore Brook and Ashmore Park. The prefix "ash" refers to the ash tree, which was abundant in these areas, while the suffix "-more" or "-mere" denotes a marshy or boggy area, indicating that the name likely described a settlement near an ash tree grove in a marshy area.

In the 13th century, records show a Richard de Aschemere, who was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Staffordshire in 1221. Another early recorded bearer of the name was John de Asshemere, mentioned in the Assize Court Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Ashmore name was Sir William Ashmore (c. 1450-1521), a prominent English soldier and courtier during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He served in the Wars of the Roses and was knighted for his valor at the Battle of Stoke Field in 1487.

Another notable figure was John Ashmore (c. 1575-1638), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1628 to 1629.

In the realm of literature, the name Ashmore is associated with the English poet and playwright John Ashmore (1639-1700), who was a member of the Cavalier school of poets and wrote several plays and masques during the Restoration period.

During the 18th century, Sir Matthew Ashmore (1724-1795) was a prominent English barrister and Member of Parliament, representing Bridport from 1768 to 1784.

In more recent times, one of the most famous bearers of the Ashmore name was the British actor and director John Ashmore (1915-1992), known for his roles in films such as "The Way Ahead" and "The Longest Day".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ashmore

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

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

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

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