2000
#28,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 802
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Rare Last name
Astor
A surname derived from the Greek asty meaning "town" or "city".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,001 Americans carry the last name Astor. That puts it at #28,958 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 342,412 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Astor 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 Astor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.0K
1 in 342,412
Census rank
#28,958
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
873
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 873 bearers of the surname Astor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 28958th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Astor, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Astor
Among Census respondents with the surname Astor, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Astor 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 Astor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.8% · 609
- Hispanic or Latino19.7% · 172
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.6% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.6% · 23
- Two or more races1.8% · 16
- Black or African American1.5% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Astor
Astor 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
#29,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 807
+5 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 1,191 places
2020
#28,958
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 873
+66 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.29
Rank movement Up 351 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,118 | 802 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,309 | 807 | 0.27 | +5 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 1,191 places |
| 2020 | #28,958 | 873 | 0.29 | +66 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 351 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 Astor 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 | #29,309 | #28,958 | 1.2% |
| Count | 807 | 873 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.29 | 8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Astor bearers went from 807 to 873 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 351 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,309 to #28,958.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Astor
FAQ
Astor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Astor?
Name Census estimates that about 1,001 living Americans carry the surname Astor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 342,412 residents.
How common is Astor?
Astor ranks #28,958 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.29 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 873 people with the surname Astor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,001), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.29 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 Astor.
Has Astor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Astor went from 807 recorded bearers to 873. That is an increase of 66 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,309 to #28,958.
What does the Census say about the background of Astor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Astor, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (19.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.6%). 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 Astor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.8% (609 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Astor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.8%), Hispanic (19.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.6%). 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 Astor (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 Astor mean?
A surname derived from the Greek asty meaning "town" or "city". 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 Astor (0.29 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 are called Astor?
See how common the surname Astor is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.