2000
#2,611
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,710
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.71
Uncommon Last name
Asher
A surname of English origin, derived from an occupational name for an ash maker, referring to someone who made arrows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,411 Americans carry the last name Asher. That puts it at #2,792 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,784 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Asher 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 Asher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 23,784
Census rank
#2,792
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,567 bearers of the surname Asher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2792nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Asher, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Asher
The surname Asher is of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'aesc', meaning 'ash tree'. It is believed to have originated as a descriptive surname, given to someone who lived near an ash tree or grove of ash trees.
The earliest recorded instances of the Asher surname date back to the late 12th century in various English counties, such as Essex, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest recorded bearers of this name was Robert le Ascher, mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1188.
During the Middle Ages, the Asher surname appeared in various forms, including Aissher, Aysher, and Assher. These variations were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with names derived from the Old English word 'aesc', such as Ashbury and Ashton, suggesting the presence of the Asher surname or its variants at that time.
One notable bearer of the Asher surname was John Asher (c. 1597 - 1659), an English Puritan clergyman and religious writer. He was a prominent figure during the English Civil War and authored several works on theology and church governance.
Another historical figure with the surname Asher was Sir Adolphus Asher (1837 - 1919), a British businessman and philanthropist. He was a successful merchant and banker in London and made significant contributions to various charitable organizations.
In the literary world, Mary Asher (1862 - 1901) was an English novelist and short story writer. She is best known for her novel 'The Baronet's Bride', published in 1896.
Sir Frederick Asher (1866 - 1944) was a British civil engineer and architect. He was involved in several notable construction projects, including the Manchester Ship Canal and the Wembley Stadium in London.
Lastly, Arthur Asher (1914 - 1994) was an American baseball player who played in the Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies in the 1940s.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Asher
Among Census respondents with the surname Asher, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Asher 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 Asher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 10,739
- Two or more races4.2% · 532
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 434
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 393
- Black or African American3.0% · 372
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 97
Timeline
Historical Census data for Asher
Asher 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
#2,695
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,371
+661 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 4.53
Rank movement Down 84 places
2020
#2,792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,567
-804 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 4.20
Rank movement Down 97 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,611 | 12,710 | 4.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,695 | 13,371 | 4.53 | +661 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 84 places |
| 2020 | #2,792 | 12,567 | 4.20 | -804 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 97 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 Asher 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 | #2,695 | #2,792 | -3.6% |
| Count | 13,371 | 12,567 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.53 | 4.20 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Asher bearers went from 13,371 to 12,567 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 97 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,695 to #2,792.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Asher
FAQ
Asher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Asher?
Name Census estimates that about 14,411 living Americans carry the surname Asher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,784 residents.
How common is Asher?
Asher ranks #2,792 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.20 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,567 people with the surname Asher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,411), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.20 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Asher.
Has Asher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Asher went from 13,371 recorded bearers to 12,567. That is a decrease of 804 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,695 to #2,792.
What does the Census say about the background of Asher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Asher, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Asher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (10,739 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Asher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Asher (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 Asher mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from an occupational name for an ash maker, referring to someone who made arrows. 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 Asher (4.20 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 Asher?
See how many people are called Asher on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.