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

Astor, 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 Astor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Astor in America

Astor is the 29309th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Astor surname appeared 807 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 Astor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Astor 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 Astor

The surname Astor traces its origins to the German towns of Walldorf and Hunsrück in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. It emerged around the 11th century, derived from the Old German words 'ast' meaning branch and 'or' meaning ridge or hill. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent ridge with trees or branches.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Astor surname appears in the Codex Laureshamensis, a medieval cartulary from the Lorsch Abbey in present-day Hesse, Germany. The document, dated around 1100 AD, mentions an Astor von Walldorf as a landowner in the region.

In the 13th century, a branch of the Astor family migrated to the town of Bedburg in North Rhine-Westphalia, where they established themselves as respected merchants and landowners. The name appears in various medieval records from the region, often spelled as 'Astoir' or 'Astore'.

The most famous historical figure bearing the Astor name was John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), a German-American businessman and investor who became one of the wealthiest people in the United States during his lifetime. Born in Walldorf, he immigrated to America in 1784 and made his fortune in the fur trade and real estate.

Another notable Astor was William Waldorf Astor (1848-1919), the grandson of John Jacob Astor and a prominent figure in British politics and society. He served as the United States Minister to Italy from 1882 to 1885 and was later made a British peer, taking the title Viscount Astor.

In the 16th century, the Astor family expanded their presence to the Netherlands, where the name was sometimes spelled 'Aster' or 'Astoor'. One notable figure from this branch was Isaac Astor (1591-1669), a Dutch merchant and ship owner who established trade routes between Holland and the Baltic region.

The Astor surname also has a long history in Spain, where it is believed to have been introduced by German merchants and traders during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Spain comes from the 14th century, when a certain Pedro Astor was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Seville.

Throughout its history, the Astor surname has been associated with wealth, entrepreneurship, and social prominence, particularly in the United States and Europe. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Rhineland region of Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world and continues to be a prominent surname in many countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Astor

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

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

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

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