2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Asprey
An English locational surname derived from a place in Bedfordshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Asprey. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asprey 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 Asprey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Asprey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asprey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asprey
The surname Asprey has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "æsc" meaning ash tree and "pray" meaning meadow or enclosure, suggesting that the name was originally a locational surname referring to someone who resided near an ash tree meadow or enclosure.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Asprey can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Aespreie" in reference to a landholder in Derbyshire. This early spelling variation highlights the name's evolution over time.
During the 13th century, the name Asprey emerged in various forms, including "Aspreie," "Asprey," and "Asprai," as documented in various records and manuscripts from counties such as Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Warwickshire.
Notably, the name Asprey has been associated with several historical figures throughout the centuries. One such individual was Sir Richard Asprey (1530-1591), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1589.
Another notable bearer of the Asprey surname was John Asprey (1675-1743), a renowned English clockmaker and watchmaker who established the Asprey & Co. luxury goods company in London in 1781. This company has since become renowned for its exquisite jewelry, silverware, and other luxury items.
In the 18th century, the Asprey family had a significant presence in the village of Twyford, Derbyshire, where they owned several estates and played a prominent role in the local community. One member of this family was William Asprey (1721-1798), a successful landowner and businessman.
Moving into the 19th century, notable individuals with the Asprey surname include Charles Asprey (1810-1876), a respected English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, and Sir John Asprey (1845-1923), a distinguished British diplomat who served as the Ambassador to Russia from 1905 to 1910.
Throughout its history, the surname Asprey has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, with many bearers of the name contributing to various fields, including business, politics, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asprey
Among Census respondents with the surname Asprey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Asprey 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 Asprey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 3
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asprey
Asprey 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,136 places
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 774 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,136 places |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 774 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 Asprey 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 | #156,044 | #155,270 | 0.5% |
| Count | 104 | 101 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asprey bearers went from 104 to 101 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 774 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #155,270.
FAQ
Asprey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asprey?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Asprey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Asprey?
Asprey ranks #155,270 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 101 people with the surname Asprey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), 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 Asprey.
Has Asprey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asprey went from 104 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Asprey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asprey, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Asprey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asprey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Hispanic (6.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%). 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 Asprey (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 Asprey mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place in Bedfordshire, England. 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 Asprey (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 surname Asprey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.