2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ason
A surname potentially derived from the Hebrew "Ason" meaning treasure or fortune.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Ason. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ason 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Ason in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ason, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Hispanic (18.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ason
The surname "ASON" is believed to have originated in England, with its roots tracing back to the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "æsne," meaning "ass" or "donkey," suggesting that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked with donkeys or was involved in their care or transportation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "ASON" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Richard Asson is mentioned. This spelling variation, with a double "s," is believed to be an early form of the surname, indicating its evolution over time.
In the 15th century, records from the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire mention a John Asone, further solidifying the presence of the surname in various regions of England during the medieval period. It is possible that the name might have originated from a place name containing the word "ass" or a variation of it, though no definitive evidence of this has been found.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname "ASON." For instance, William Ason (c. 1568-1653) was an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Stratford-upon-Avon during the time of William Shakespeare. Another figure, John Ason (c. 1590-1654), was an English writer and satirist known for his work "The Fools Bolt is soon Shot."
In the 18th century, Richard Ason (1690-1776) was a prominent merchant and ship owner based in Bristol, England, whose trading ventures extended across the Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, Edward Ason (1725-1804) was a British politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stafford from 1768 to 1784.
During the 19th century, the surname "ASON" continued to be present, with notable individuals such as Charles Ason (1810-1876), a Scottish engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and locomotives.
It is worth noting that while the surname "ASON" has a relatively limited presence in historical records, it has persisted through the centuries, maintaining its unique identity and connection to its presumed occupational or regional origins in medieval England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ason
Among Census respondents with the surname Ason, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Hispanic (18.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Ason 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 Ason surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.9% · 54
- Black or African American25.5% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino18.6% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ason
Ason 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,276 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 4,957 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 9,276 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 4,957 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 Ason 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 | #159,712 | #154,755 | 3.1% |
| Count | 101 | 102 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ason bearers went from 101 to 102 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 4,957 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #154,755.
FAQ
Ason surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ason?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Ason. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Ason?
Ason ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Ason. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Ason.
Has Ason become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ason went from 101 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Ason?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ason, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.9%. The next largest groups are Black (25.5%) and Hispanic (18.6%). 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 Ason in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.9% (54 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ason appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.9%), Black (25.5%), Hispanic (18.6%). 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 Ason (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 Ason mean?
A surname potentially derived from the Hebrew "Ason" meaning treasure or fortune. 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 Ason (0.03 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 have the last name Ason?
You can see how common the surname Ason is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.