2000
#3,255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,079
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.74
Uncommon Last name
Ashworth
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an ash tree enclosure or ash wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,027 Americans carry the last name Ashworth. That puts it at #3,608 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 31,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ashworth 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 Ashworth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 31,083
Census rank
#3,608
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.6K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,616 bearers of the surname Ashworth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3608th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ashworth
The surname Ashworth has its origins in the region of Lancashire, England, and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree, and "worth" meaning an enclosed homestead or farm. Thus, the name suggests that the original bearer lived near an ash tree-lined enclosure or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1311, which mentions a Thomas de Asshewrth. The Domesday Book of 1086 does not contain any direct references to the surname, but it does list several places named Ashworth, such as Ashworth in Rochdale and Ashworth in Wigan, indicating that the name was likely derived from a place name.
During the Middle Ages, the surname was often spelled in various ways, including Asshewrth, Asseworth, and Asshworth, reflecting the regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling conventions of the time. The modern spelling of Ashworth became more standardized by the 17th century.
Notable individuals with the surname Ashworth throughout history include:
1. John Ashworth (c. 1530-1590), an English Catholic martyr who was executed for his faith during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
2. Henry Ashworth (1794-1880), an English industrialist and philanthropist who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Lancashire.
3. Henrietta Ashworth (1851-1938), an English women's rights activist and suffragette, who campaigned for women's suffrage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
4. Caleb Ashworth (1722-1775), an English Puritan minister and theologian, known for his influential sermons and writings on practical divinity.
5. John Ashworth (1915-1995), an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Lancashire and represented England in Test matches during the 1940s and 1950s.
The Ashworth surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Ashworth Valley in West Yorkshire, Ashworth Moor in Greater Manchester, and Ashworth Town in Lancashire, further reinforcing its connection to the region's geography and history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ashworth
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Ashworth 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 Ashworth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 8,567
- Two or more races3.5% · 332
- Black or African American3.4% · 324
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 300
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ashworth
Ashworth 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
#3,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,116
+37 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 3.43
Rank movement Down 276 places
2020
#3,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,616
-500 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 3.22
Rank movement Down 77 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,255 | 10,079 | 3.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,531 | 10,116 | 3.43 | +37 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 276 places |
| 2020 | #3,608 | 9,616 | 3.22 | -500 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 77 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 Ashworth 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 | #3,531 | #3,608 | -2.2% |
| Count | 10,116 | 9,616 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.43 | 3.22 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ashworth bearers went from 10,116 to 9,616 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 77 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,531 to #3,608.
FAQ
Ashworth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ashworth?
Name Census estimates that about 11,027 living Americans carry the surname Ashworth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 31,083 residents.
How common is Ashworth?
Ashworth ranks #3,608 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,616 people with the surname Ashworth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Ashworth.
Has Ashworth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ashworth went from 10,116 recorded bearers to 9,616. That is a decrease of 500 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,531 to #3,608.
What does the Census say about the background of Ashworth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ashworth, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (3.4%). 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 Ashworth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (8,567 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ashworth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Black (3.4%). 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 Ashworth (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 Ashworth mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near an ash tree enclosure or ash wood. 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 Ashworth (3.22 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 Americans have the surname Ashworth?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.