2000
#5,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.23
Rare Last name
Ashmore
A locational surname derived from any of several places named Ashmore, likely referring to a moor with ash trees.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,770 Americans carry the last name Ashmore. That puts it at #5,661 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 50,628 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ashmore 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ashmore with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.8K
1 in 50,628
Census rank
#5,661
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,904 bearers of the surname Ashmore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5661st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashmore, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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".
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ashmore
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashmore, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ashmore 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 Ashmore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 4,882
- Black or African American7.6% · 447
- Two or more races4.6% · 272
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 209
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 53
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ashmore
Ashmore appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,642
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,155
+151 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 299 places
2020
#5,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,904
-251 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.98
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,343 | 6,004 | 2.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,642 | 6,155 | 2.09 | +151 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 299 places |
| 2020 | #5,661 | 5,904 | 1.98 | -251 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 19 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 Ashmore 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 | #5,642 | #5,661 | -0.3% |
| Count | 6,155 | 5,904 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.09 | 1.98 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ashmore bearers went from 6,155 to 5,904 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,642 to #5,661.
FAQ
Ashmore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ashmore?
Name Census estimates that about 6,770 living Americans carry the surname Ashmore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 50,628 residents.
How common is Ashmore?
Ashmore ranks #5,661 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,904 people with the surname Ashmore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,770), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ashmore.
Has Ashmore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ashmore went from 6,155 recorded bearers to 5,904. That is a decrease of 251 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,642 to #5,661.
What does the Census say about the background of Ashmore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashmore, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (7.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Ashmore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (4,882 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ashmore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Black (7.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Ashmore (2000, 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 Ashmore mean?
A locational surname derived from any of several places named Ashmore, likely referring to a moor with ash trees. 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 Ashmore (1.98 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 common is the surname Ashmore?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Ashmore on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.