Given name & surname
Ashton
“from the ash-tree town”
Ashton is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the ash-tree town.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “from the ash-tree town.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
In English usage, Ashton developed from Æsc.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Ashton is a variant of Ashley. The history of Ashley gives this family its wider story. One suggested early inspiration for using Ashley as a given name was admiration for the humanitarian work of Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury, who lived from 1801 to 1885. This is a possible influence, rather than a securely established single starting point.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Ashton through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 107,927
- 88,267 boys · 19,660 girls
- Most popular year
- 2004
- 5,847 babies
- 2025
- 1,886
- #197 for boys · #2,173 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 95% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,801 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 197 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 5,436 in 2004. It also appeared in 85 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (151). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 82,425 as a first name in 2020; 11,812 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Ashton’s family of names
In English usage, Ashton developed from the Old English form Æsc. Ashton has a related form in Ashley. Ashton has a related form in Ashtyn.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Ashleyvariant
- Ashtynvariant
- Astonvariant
- Ashtinvariant
- Ashetonvariant · English
- Ashtunvariant
- Ashttonlikely variant
- Ashtonnlikely variant
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Ashton
- Ash Carter25th United States Secretary of Defense1954–2022
- Ashton EatonAmerican decathleteborn 1988
- Ashton SandersAmerican actorborn 1995
- Ashton HolmesAmerican actorborn 1978
- Daniel CaesarCanadian singer-songwriter (born 1995)
- Ashton IrwinAustralian drummerborn 1994
- Ashton Dearholtactor (1894-1942)
- Ashton LambieAmerican cyclistborn 1990
- Ashton AgarAustralian cricketerborn 1993
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Ashton, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Boston
Boston is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the town near the forest; from the city of Boston.”
90% boys · 10% girls
Leland
“from the meadow land”
98% boys · 2% girls
Bentley
“from the meadow of bent grass”
95% boys · 5% girls
Ashford
“from the ash-tree ford”
>99% boys
Ashbourne
“ash-tree”
88% boys · 12% girls
Hazleton
“from the hazel-tree town”
>99% boys
Ashurst
“ash-tree”
—
Crompton
“river bend”
—