Declining since 2004, #197 for boys today.
Popularity of Ashton since 1881
Babies named Ashton per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 12 |
| 1890s | 0 | 25 |
| 1900s | 0 | 36 |
| 1910s | 0 | 193 |
| 1920s | 0 | 248 |
| 1930s | 0 | 190 |
| 1940s | 0 | 164 |
| 1950s | 0 | 158 |
| 1960s | 0 | 145 |
| 1970s | 14 | 323 |
| 1980s | 3,610 | 2,160 |
| 1990s | 8,689 | 7,950 |
| 2000s | 4,781 | 32,450 |
| 2010s | 1,841 | 30,220 |
| 2020s | 725 | 13,993 |
Meaning & origin
Ashton traces its roots to Old English place names meaning 'ash tree settlement.' The name entered the American baby name landscape as a surname style, but its modern trajectory is indelibly linked to actor Ashton Kutcher, who rose to fame on That '70s Show in the late 1990s. By 2004, the name had climbed to its peak rank of 22, making it one of the most popular boy names of the early 2000s. Since then, it has been gradually falling; in 2025 it ranked 197, with about 1 in every 948 newborn boys receiving the name. The name is especially favored in Washington, D.C., Mississippi, and West Virginia. Despite the decline, Ashton remains a common choice among parents seeking a surname-name with a nature-inspired beginning.
Ashton is an English surname and place name derived from Old English 'æsc' (ash tree) and 'tūn' (enclosure, settlement). It originated as a locational surname for families living in any of the many places named Ashton throughout England, such as Ashton-under-Lyne in Lancashire. As a given name, it gained popularity in the late 20th century, particularly after the rise of actor Ashton Kutcher in the late 1990s.
Where Ashton is most popular
Births per 100,000 boys by state. Press play or drag the slider to watch it move across the decades. The lightest shade means too few recorded births.
“Ashton” around the world
Where Ashton lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Ireland
6
babies in 2025
New Zealand
23
babies in 2025
Sources: INSEE (France) · CSO Ireland (Ireland) · NZ Dept of Internal Affairs (New Zealand).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Ash, Ashy
Sibling names for Ashton
Names that share Ashton's style, for a brother or sister.
Names like Ashton
Names whose popularity has moved with Ashton's over the last 50 years.
