2000
#23,568
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,004
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.37
Rare Last name
Astin
A surname derived from the Old English word "aesten," meaning "ash tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,134 Americans carry the last name Astin. That puts it at #26,042 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 302,253 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Astin 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 Astin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 302,253
Census rank
#26,042
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
989
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 989 bearers of the surname Astin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26042nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Astin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Astin
The surname Astin originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "aesten," which means "from the east." This suggests that the name was originally given to someone who had come from the eastern part of a town or region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Astin can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated 1273. The document mentions a person named Reginald Asten, which is likely an early spelling variation of the surname.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across England, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which listed a William Astyn. The Astin surname was also found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, indicating its presence in different parts of the country.
The name Astin may have also been influenced by place names, particularly those containing the word "aston," which is derived from the Old English words "east" and "tun" (meaning town or settlement). For example, the village of Aston in Warwickshire could have been the origin of some Astin families.
One notable individual with the surname Astin was Sir Robert Astin, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a Member of Parliament for Maidstone, Kent, and served during the reign of King James I.
Another historical figure was William Astin, a clergyman who was born in Yorkshire in 1718. He became the rector of Amcliffe, Yorkshire, and was known for his theological writings.
In the 19th century, John Astin (1810-1894) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Lancashire, England. He made his fortune in the textile industry and donated significant funds to various educational and charitable causes.
The surname Astin also gained recognition through the accomplishments of John Astin (1920-2003), an American actor best known for his role as Gomez Addams in the 1960s TV series "The Addams Family." His son, Sean Astin (born 1971), followed in his footsteps and became a successful actor, appearing in films such as "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Over the centuries, the Astin surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Asten, Astyn, Astine, and Astun, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal interpretations of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Astin
Among Census respondents with the surname Astin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Astin 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 Astin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 785
- Black or African American14.3% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 30
- Two or more races2.5% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Astin
Astin 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
#25,751
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 957
-47 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 2,183 places
2020
#26,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 989
+32 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #23,568 | 1,004 | 0.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,751 | 957 | 0.32 | -47 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 2,183 places |
| 2020 | #26,042 | 989 | 0.33 | +32 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 291 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 Astin 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 | #25,751 | #26,042 | -1.1% |
| Count | 957 | 989 | 3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.33 | 3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Astin bearers went from 957 to 989 (+3.3% change). The surname moved down 291 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,751 to #26,042.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Astin
FAQ
Astin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Astin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,134 living Americans carry the surname Astin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 302,253 residents.
How common is Astin?
Astin ranks #26,042 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 989 people with the surname Astin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Astin.
Has Astin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Astin went from 957 recorded bearers to 989. That is an increase of 32 (+3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,751 to #26,042.
What does the Census say about the background of Astin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Astin, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Black (14.3%) and Hispanic (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 Astin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (785 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Astin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Black (14.3%), Hispanic (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 Astin (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 Astin mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "aesten," meaning "ash tree." 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 Astin (0.33 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 Astin?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Astin at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.