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

Ask, 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 Ask surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ask in America

Ask is the 37955th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ask surname appeared 585 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ask.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ask 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 Ask

The surname Ask originates from Norway and dates back to the Viking era around the 9th to 11th centuries. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse word 'askr', meaning ash tree. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near an ash grove or worked with ash wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ask surname can be found in the Landnámabók, an Icelandic book detailing the settlement of Iceland in the 9th and 10th centuries. It mentions an individual named Askr, who is believed to be one of the earliest bearers of the name.

In the Middle Ages, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Aske, Askew, and Asker, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions. The surname was particularly prevalent in Norway, Sweden, and parts of Denmark.

Notable individuals with the Ask surname include Thorstein Ask, a Norwegian chieftain who lived in the late 10th century and is mentioned in the Heimskringla, a collection of Old Norse kings' sagas compiled by Snorri Sturluson. Another early bearer of the name was Torolv Ask, a Norwegian Viking who is said to have settled in Iceland around the year 920.

In the 13th century, a Danish nobleman named Aske Pedersen played a significant role in the Danish-Swedish war of 1257-1258. He served as the commander of the Danish forces and was instrumental in securing several victories against the Swedes.

During the 16th century, the Ask surname gained prominence in England, where it was sometimes spelled Aske or Askew. One notable figure was Anne Askew (1521-1546), an English Protestant martyr who was convicted of heresy and burned at the stake during the reign of Henry VIII.

Another prominent individual with the Ask surname was Peder Ask (1615-1692), a Norwegian Lutheran clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Trondheim. He was known for his contributions to religious literature and his efforts in promoting education in Norway.

While the surname Ask has its roots in Scandinavia, it has spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. Today, it can be found in various countries, with concentrations in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and regions with significant Scandinavian populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ask

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!